Long Island Man Gets 4-12 Years In Vacant Home Hijacking Scam; Filed Phony Liens On Houses In Foreclosure, Then Rented Them To Unwitting Tenants

In Suffolk County, New York, Newsday reports:

• A Medford man who rented out homes he didn't own continued to collect rent from unsuspecting tenants even after he was arrested in February on fraud and burglary charges, a prosecutor said Tuesday at the man's sentencing in Riverhead. Paul Salamone, 28, was sentenced Tuesday to 4 to 12 years in prison by Suffolk County Court Judge James Hudson, who ordered Salamone to pay more than $10,000 in restitution to his victims.

• Salamone filed phony liens against seven homeowners in the midst of foreclosure proceedings, falsely claiming they owed him money, prosecutors said. He fixed up two of those homes, in Medford and East Patchogue, then rented them to tenants, prosecutors said.

• Insisting he owned the homes, Salamone removed signs and changed the locks to keep homeowners and bank and real estate agents from entering the properties, prosecutor Marc Lindemann said. [...] Salamone placed dogs on the properties to scare off real estate agents and continued to collect rent after his indictment, Lindemann said. Salamone's victims will have to apply to the state to have the false liens declared invalid, Lindemann said.

For the story, see Man posing as landlord collected rent even after arrest.

See also, Long Island Press: Wannabe Landlord Gets 4-12 Years. mechanics lien KappaPhonyLandlordScam