Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Federal Jury Convicts D.C. Scammer Of Stealing Houses From Dead Homeowners

In Washington, D.C., Examiner.com reports:

  • A federal jury convicted a founder of a nonprofit on charges he forged the names of dead people to steal their houses. Duane McKinney, 35, president of Brotherhood of Men Inc., was found guilty on 11 counts of fraud, theft and illegal money transactions. He is scheduled to be sentenced July 15, and faces between seven and nine years in prison under federal sentencing guidelines, according to the U.S. district attorney for the District of Columbia. Prosecutors said McKinney used his organization to steal 14 properties and sell nine of them for a gain of $770,000.

  • Co-defendant Joe D. Liles, a notary public in Maryland, was accused of notarizing the dead people’s signatures. Liles pleaded guilty in January and will be sentenced May 30.

For more, see Nonprofit leader found guilty in home scam.

See also, U.S. Attorney for D.C. press releases:

  • Announcement of Conviction - District of Columbia man found guilty of theft, fraud, and money transaction offenses relating to forged property deeds,
  • Announcement of Indictment - Federal grand jury charges two in scheme to steal D.C. area properties from estates ofdeceased persons and others.

Go here and go here for other posts on deed theft by forgery, swindle, etc. deed theft yahtzee