New Mexico Man Faces 13 Counts In Alleged Home Hijacking Scam; Targeted Houses In Foreclosure, Unwitting Tenants Seeking Rentals, Say Investigators

In Albequrque, New Mexico, KRQE-TV Channel 13 reports:

• A purported landlord who used foreclosed homes to scam unsuspecting tenants will face charges once he is located, according to Albuquerque police. Last summer KRQE News 13 interviewed three women who said they rented houses from Ernest Garcia. But according to police Garcia had broken into foreclosed homes which he then pretended to own while collecting cash from would-be tenants.

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• Now a grand jury has indicted Garcia on 13 counts including fraud, forgery and burglary. "It's a scheme that I don't think any of us have ever seen before and certainly one that is propelled by the economy," Pat Davis, a spokesman for Bernalillo County District Attorney Kari Brandenburg, said. [...] But there's one problem. Investigators don't know where to find Garcia. A warrant is out for his arrest, and he has a court hearing scheduled Thursday in an aggravated DWI case. If he shows, he will be arrested. Garcia has a criminal history dating back to 1989 that includes burglary, forgery and conspiracy.

For the story, see Indictment: Fake landlord duped tenants (Passed off foreclosed homes as his). KappaPhonyLandlordScam