Quick Summary
- Deed fraud can turn forged paperwork into control over real property, leaving legitimate owners to prove that the ownership record is wrong.
- In Missouri, a man admitted participating in a scheme that transferred at least 14 properties using fraudulent deeds and notary seals, with intended losses exceeding $1.5 million.
Federal prosecutors in Missouri say a St. Louis County man admitted participating in a years-long scheme that used fraudulent deed filings to take control of at least 14 properties in St. Louis and surrounding areas. Beginning as early as 2018, the suspect and an accomplice allegedly filed deeds falsely claiming properties had been purchased by the suspect, his companies, relatives, or associates. Fraudulently obtained notary seals were used to authenticate forged owner signatures, giving the documents the appearance of legitimacy. Prosecutors said at least three supposed property owners were already deceased when their signatures were purportedly notarized.
The financial impact extended well beyond the false filings. The suspect admitted using the identities of at least 10 people, and prosecutors placed intended losses above $1.5 million. Legitimate owners were forced to spend significant resources trying to recover title to properties that had been transferred without authorization. In an especially stark example of the restoration problem, federal authorities said some owners abandoned their properties because they could not afford the legal action required to reclaim them. In some cases, the suspect allegedly forced entry into properties and occupied them after the fraudulent transfers.
This story was first posted on St. Louis County Office of the Inspector General
