The News Room [News Release]
Sheriff Contact: John Roach: 313-224-0615
Prosecutor Contact: Maria Miller: 313-224-5817
Reg. Of Deeds Contact: Bernard Youngblood: 313-224-5850
Release Date: Thursday, August 25, 2005
Latest
deed fraud bust highlights need for additional enforcement --- Sheriff,
Register of Deeds & Prosecutor announce plans to create joint
investigative task force to address issue
Wayne County Sheriff’s Deputies, working with the staff
from the county Prosecutor and Register of Deeds offices have arrested
a man they say fraudulently transferred the deed to a home in a
prestigious Detroit neighborhood into his name, Sheriff Warren
Evans announced today. The case is the most recent in a series
that investigators have uncovered involving deed fraud in Wayne
County and highlights the need for additional resources to combat
the growing problem, county officials said.
Howard Steele, 31, of Detroit, was arraigned late last week on
charges of Uttering and Publishing, which carries a maximum prison
term of 14 years if he is convicted. He currently is free on personal
bond.
“This problem has been growing quietly for years and it’s
only going to get worse if something isn’t done to address
it,” Evans said. “The Prosecutor, Register of Deeds
and myself all are prepared to commit resources from our offices
if the necessary funding can be identified in the upcoming county
budget.”
According to investigators, Steele forged signatures and otherwise
misrepresented himself to transfer the deed to a home in Detroit’s
Rosedale Park, which is one of the city’s premiere neighborhoods.
Steele first denied filing a Quit Claim deed, but later admitted
to it, although he still denies having forged the signatures of
the legitimate homeowners.
The case began when the register of deeds office received a tip
that Steele was trying to scam someone out of their home. Homeowners,
Mark and Paulette Brown, said an individual came to their home
on Lancashire street and told them they had to move out because
the home had a new owner who wanted them out. The Browns no longer
were living at that location, but still own the home and had some
belongings inside.
“Unfortunately, we see this a lot where people are abusing
a legitimate process for illegitimate purposes. Having people losing
their homes to scam artists is something we cannot and will not
tolerated,” said Youngblood.
Youngblood says it’s impossible to know how many people
are the victims of deed fraud, but he estimates the number may
be in the hundreds each year and growing. “The difficult
thing about these cases is the fact that the paper trail can be
so long and complex. Part time investigators and prosecutors won’t
do the job. We need to have a full time unit.”
Worthy said that if money can be found in the county budget process,
she would assign a full time assistant prosecutor to the task force. “The
largest investment most people make in their lives – and
the most important – is their home. We have a responsibility
to protect them from this growing threat against their property.”
Anyone who has information on suspected deed fraud, or who
may have been a victim, can call the Wayne County Prosecutor’s
Deed Fraud Hotline at: 313-224-0653