Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Convicted Scammer With History Of Using Forged Deeds To Hijack Title To Homes In Brooklyn Moves To California, Found Guilty Again Of Running Same Racket

In Santa Maria, California, the Lompoc Record reports:
  • A Santa Maria jury returned guilty verdicts in a real estate fraud case for a man charged with several counts of commercial burglary and forgery, according to the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office.

    The defendant, Nicholas Baucom, faces up to seven years and eight months in prison.

    Baucom attempted to record a forged deed transferring residential property to himself from an unsuspecting homeowner on three different occasions, according to the district attorney. The homeowner resided out of the area and Baucom was squatting in the vacant home.

    An employee of the Santa Barbara County Clerk Recorder's Office reported the suspicious activity to the District Attorney's Real Estate Fraud Unit. The Fraud Unit investigated the case and learned that Baucom had previously been convicted in Brooklyn, New York, for recording forged deeds, transferring residential property to himself.

    The jury found Baucom guilty as charged of all eight felony counts, including three counts of commercial burglary, three counts of attempting to record a forged deed, one count of forgery of a deed and one count of forgery of a notary stamp.

    District Attorney Joyce Dudley commended the Real Estate Fraud Unit for its investigative work and prosecution of this case.