15 charged as house thieves

They preyed on the vulnerable: elderly folks who moved into nursing homes, sick people gone on extended hospital or rehabilitation stays, immigrants and others with a slippery grasp on both English and local laws.

But yesterday, 15 people accused in an elaborate house-stealing scheme got a new address themselves - prison.

District Attorney Lynne Abraham announced their arrests in a morning news conference in which she complained that laxness of regulations and in the oversight of notaries and deed-recording allow house-stealing to flourish in Philadelphia.

"House-stealing is a regular and cottage industry in the city," Abraham said. "[It] is especially despicable when a person is victimized by others pretending to help but [who] really have no intention of being helpful and instead are intent on ripping you off by villainy and treachery."

The suspects hunted for homes that were left empty when their owners died, or had moved into nursing facilities for medical care, or otherwise left, Abraham said. They then forged documents to make it appear that they owned the property, and "sold" the homes to unsuspecting buyers, usually for cash, Abraham said.

They typically targeted unsuspecting house-hunters who weren't fluent in English or were ignorant of the intricacies of real-estate law, Abraham added.

The scheme proved profitable: The suspects illegally sold at least 82 homes in Kensington and other neighborhoods, and likely have pocketed more than $400,000 since 2004, Abraham said.

And the crime's toll is far-reaching.

Besides what they paid to buy the homes, many victims spent thousands on repairs; legal owners spent money to regain rightful ownership and to evict buyers, and the city got cheated of real-estate taxes, Abraham said.

Abraham plans to report the suspects to the IRS for income-tax evasion.

Citizen complaints suggest that the crime is epidemic, Abraham said.

Her office has fielded nearly 500 other allegations of house-stealing that are now being investigated.

Flaws in the system allow house-stealing schemes to thrive, Abraham said.

"No one seriously enforces state laws requiring the person who sells a property to appear in person before the notary public," Abraham said.

State law also doesn't require notaries to keep customers' proof of identification, which then stymies investigations such as the one that led to this grand-jury indictment, Abraham added.

Four people arrested yesterday were notaries - the scheme's alleged ringleaders, Carlos Quiles and Ivan Delgado, both 58, of Philadelphia, and alleged conspirators Lenora Irene Jackson, 59, of Philadelphia, and Rebecca A. Robinson, 63, of Sicklerville, N.J.

Besides lax notary oversight, state law governing deed-recording aids house-stealers, Abraham said.

State law requires that a recorder of deeds record a deed first and afterward check the accuracy and legality of the transfer.

"That's a recipe for disaster," Abraham said. "The law puts the cart before the horse and practically guarantees that house-stealing will continue to flourish in Philadelphia and across this commonwealth."

In a city of continually shrinking population, house-stealing likely will become a bigger problem unless lawmakers tighten oversight of notaries and deed-recording, Abraham said.

Others arrested were: Troy Baylor, 44; Kenneth Lyons, 40; Juanita Torres, 64; Alberto Rodriguez, 49; Vincent Wilder, 47; David Lespier, 47; Maria Roman, 39; Zoraida Cuevas, 49; and Marino Rodriguez, 42, all of Philadelphia. Also, Richard Smith, 45, and Daralease Brown, 43, both of Norristown.

Some suspects sought to increase their illusion of legitimacy by joining well-known community groups like Men United for a Better Philadelphia, investigators found.

Lyons used the honorific "reverend" and often called himself "bishop," but authorities did not say with what church, if any, he is affiliated.

Baylor claimed to have been employed by the city and a former state lawmaker.

Some of the suspects share close ties. Alberto and Marino Rodriguez and Cuevas are siblings; Roman is Alberto Rodriguez's ex-girlfriend; and Brown is Smith's ex-girlfriend, investigators said.

All are charged with corrupt organizations, conspiracy, theft, forgery, burglary, perjury and related offenses.

Seven were in custody yesterday. Investigators were hunting for the others.

Abraham urged that to avoid becoming a victim, citizens who own or inherit property that they don't live in should visit the sites regularly or hire someone to do so, to disconnect utilities and ensure that taxes are paid up.

Home-buyers should investigate realty agents to make sure that they are legitimate, ask to meet the owners, consult an attorney and verify the legitimacy of paperwork.

Buyers should receive their deed within two weeks of the sale, and should contact authorities if that deed doesn't come, she said. *