A tool that is typically used to easily transfer ownership of property among family members was, instead, allegedly used to steal four homes out from under the rightful property owners.
A 45-year-old man with a history of starting up real estate companies was arrested after authorities were alerted to a potential scam.
Christopher Phillip Williams of Fort Pierce is in the St. Lucie County Jail in lieu of $800,000 bail and faces racketeering and grand theft charges. “Fraud from A to Z” was how Sheriff Ken Mascara described the case.
He and Detective James Jennings detailed the case against Williams, which was brought to their attention by a property owner living in Haiti.
The owner had hired a property management firm to renovate, maintain and rent out the home in Fort Pierce. When the caretaker went to the home, he discovered the lockbox gone and the locks changed. The caretaker notified the owner, who did not know why the changes had been made.
A search of court records found a quitclaim deed filed on the house showing the home had been sold to Williams.
The deed had forged signatures and phony witnesses, Det. Jennings explained. Even the Notary stamps had been lifted from other documents. “All the deeds are phony,” Jennings said.
The investigation was launched about a year ago and includes another victim who had evacuated ahead of Hurricane Irma. When the homeowner returned, he found someone else in the home – renovating it.
In a third case, the child of a homeowner was living in the home when Williams took ownership through a quitclaim deed. Armed with the phony paperwork, Williams was able to evict the resident.
A fourth home, the one with the highest value among the four known properties, became the residence of Williams and his family, Jennings said. That home is valued at more than $100,000.
In the cases of the three other houses, Williams sold the properties to unsuspecting buyers who probably thought they were getting a great deal, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Williams sold the homes for less than market value.
Sheriff Mascara reminded the public of the old adage “if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”
“Everyone’s been cooperating,” Jennings said. “But they’re hurt.”
He said all the parties involved are working with investigators, with one exception – Williams, who has denied owning all but one of the companies involved.
The swindled buyers have vacated the homes; whether they will be made whole following the purchases and renovations they’ve made remains undetermined. The rightful owners must wait for the cases to move through court before they can regain their property.
Sheriff Mascara suggested all homeowners should regularly check the Clerk of the Court’s website to see if a quitclaim deed has been filed on their home. If any suspicious activity is noted, contact the Sheriff’s Office.
Though all four properties were located in Fort Pierce, the Sheriff’s Office made a point that these kinds of cases happen everywhere.
“It happened to me,” Sheriff Mascara said. He said that an inmate had not only filed a quitclaim deed on the sheriff’s house, but also on the homes of a state attorney and a third person.
Anyone who has done business with or been approached by Williams through any of his registered companies should also reach out to the Sheriff’s Office.
Williams is the registered owner of Rocking and Rolling Investments LLC, Oceanview Investment Capital, Grand Phoenix Solutions, and We Pay Dollars for Houses.
