Cop Pinched For Allegedly Selling Trailer Home He Didn't Own; Pocketed $8K From Unwitting Buyer Plus $1K In Unremitted Lot Rent

In West Palm Beach, Florida, The Palm Beach Post reports:

• A Palm Beach County Sheriff's deputy was arrested and charged with three counts of grand theft [...] for allegedly selling a trailer home that didn't belong to him.



• Sheriff's deputy Jose Antonio Claudio, 47, who was named Deputy of the Month in February 2010, is being held at the Palm Beach County Jail in lieu of $9,000 bond. He is charged one count of grand theft at a value of no more than $10,000 and two counts of grand theft at a value of no more than $5,000.

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• The investigation would later reveal that Claudio allegedly sold a trailer home [...] to Myra Longoria on Aug. 7, 2008 for $8,000 and kept the money even though he never held the title to it, the affidavit said.



• Claudio allegedly bought the same property from Riverstone Communities for $6,000 a week after he sold it to Longoria, the affidavit stated. He also collected $525 rent for the lot twice without the company's authorization and did not give the checks to the company.

For the story, see Grand theft charges filed against Palm Beach County sheriff's deputy.