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Alleged con artist sold someone else’s condo
Kimberly Kuizon reports
SARASOTA, Fla. - A for sale sign lured potential buyers to a home listed for just over $97,000 in Sarasota County, but detectives say the seller, Vernon Lavoie is a con-artist.
"There's so much damage caused, as far as lost funds, lost houses, just people's trust," said Sarasota County Sheriff's Office Detective Matthew Wyche.
Wyche said Lavoie used information from two victims -- the property's real owner, who lives out of state, and another victim -- to create a fake ID and open bank accounts.
With the appearance that he owned the home, Lavoie allegedly then sold it for cash.
"A crime of opportunity involving people not checking their paperwork, bank accounts, not checking their mail, and it allowed access to personal information that was then used to fraudulently purchase this house and sell it for cash," said Wyche.
Deputies say Lavoie tried to sell the house multiple times before it actually went through. The real homeowner found out when a lawsuit was filed against him by the person who thought they were buying the property.
"He said, 'You can't possibly be suing me. I wasn't selling the house. I had no idea,'" said Wyche.
By the time Wyche got the case, he noticed some big oversights.
"There was date of births that were off, as far as what the picture looked like. I could see some of the mistakes made on paperwork that should stand out to some of the official people involved in the buying and selling of the home," he said.
Mike Doyle is a realtor with Berkshire Hathaway Home Services and has been in the business for 15 years.
He says, unfortunately, incidents like this are not unique.
"It's not common but it does take place where criminals get a hold of access to your property and they sell it, not legally, but you have to fight to regain the property you own," he said.
Lavoie faces multiple fraud charges. He remains in the Sarasota County jail on a $38,000 bond. Investigators say Lavoie was on probation for a similar crime in another state.