Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Cop Accused Of Duping Girlfriend Into Signing Over Her Share Of Jointly-Owned Home, Then Giving Her The Boot

In Elk Grove, California, the Elk Grove Citizen reports:
  • Authorities arrested and jailed former Elk Grove City Council Member Michael Leary(1) for allegedly committing real estate fraud on Oct. 2. A warrant was served on Oct. 1 for his arrest when Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department investigators suspected that he forged real estate documents and unlawfully evicted his then-girlfriend from their house in Elk Grove’s Laguna West area. Leary, 49, now faces the felony charges of grand theft, forgery and recording a false document, the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office announced on Oct. 2.

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  • His former girlfriend Alyc Maselli claimed that Leary deceived her into believing they had equal ownership of a house they bought for $610,000 on Marina Cove Circle in 2005. Investigators believe that he forged the grant deed where he claimed 90 percent ownership of the home, without her knowledge. Leary allegedly had this altered document notarized.

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  • Maselli claimed she did not know about Leary’s allegedly altered deed until last January when he evicted her from the house. Her attorney reportedly informed her that she did not have the title to the home as of 2006.

For more, see Ex-council member Leary arrested for alleged real estate fraud.

(1) Reportedly, Leary is a Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department lieutenant who co-managed the Rio Cosumnes Correctional Center outside Elk Grove. His agency declined to release an official statement about his criminal case. A Sheriff’s department spokesperson said that Leary was placed on administrative leave, according to the story. DeedContraTheft