Property fraud investigation extends from Bay Area to South Florida: Court documents
TAMPA - A 50-year-old man who was arrested in Tampa amid property fraud allegations is facing similar charges in Miami-Dade County, court documents show.
Victor Rodriguez and his current wife, Michelle Cherry, 33, were both arrested during a traffic stop in Tampa in March.
In February, court documents show Cherry and Rodriguez went to the Hillsborough County Clerk’s office and filed a quitclaim deed on Larry and Dreama Bilby’s property. However, the Bilby’s said they "did not give anyone permission to sign their names."
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"I was so angry, I almost couldn’t talk," Dreama Bilby said. "I was so angry."
"It's comforting to see that somebody like Larry and his wife are victims of Mr. Rodriguez as well," Carolina Sauer of Miami told FOX 13 Thursday. "You know, it's comforting because, for so long, we felt like maybe we were the only ones."
Sauer is Rodriguez’s ex-wife. Shortly after her father passed away last year, Sauer told FOX 13 her family made a suspicious discovery.
"We found out that the titles of my father's properties had all changed through quit claim deeds," Sauer said. "We questioned: How did this happen?"
When they looked at the documents, Sauer said she had even more questions.
"Who forges a deceased person's signature? Who does that?" Sauer said.
Miami-Dade County court documents describe several "fraudulent and forged deeds" allegedly between Sauer’s father and Rodriguez.
According to records, Rodriguez "clearly forged" his ex-father-in-law’s signature.
"The document only requires a notary and two signatures with an address listed next to them," Hillsborough County Clerk of Court and Comptroller Cindy Stuart said.
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Quitclaim deeds are not difficult to forge, court officials told FOX 13. It’s why Stuart said she’s pushing for tougher legislation while making sure her clerks always watch for suspicious behavior.
"Misspelled names, addresses that don't appear that they actually exist, misspelled cities," Stuart said.
Meanwhile, Sauer said her family continues to fight her ex-husband in court. Sauer told FOX 13 her family hired a handwriting expert and have spent a large amount of money on legal fees.
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"The hardest thing for us emotionally has been, we've just tried to protect my father and his legacy," Sauer said.
We reached out to the attorney representing Rodriguez, who shared this statement with FOX 13:
"We have filed a written plea of not guilty on his behalf. Mr. Rodriguez maintains his innocence, and our office is entrusted with the responsibility of protecting his rights. Because his case is under active litigation, he is protected by both work product privilege and attorney/client privilege. We are responsible for ensuring justice and fairness in legal proceedings, protecting Mr. Rodriguez' rights and upholding the rule of law. We cannot provide any further comment that might adversely affect our representation of this client."
To register for the county’s free property fraud alert system, click here. It notifies homeowners when a document is filed against their property.
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