Sale Leaseback Peddler Pinched On Multiple Larceny By False Pretense Charges In Alleged Racket Targeting Homeowners w/ Bad Credit, Facing Foreclosure

In South Easton, Massachusetts, WPRI-TV Channel 12 reports:

• After ten months of investigating, Joshua Leventhal was arrested on ten counts of larceny over $250 by false pretense. Easton Police and Norton Police officers arrested 41-year-old Leventhal after executing a search warrant of his house.
  
  
• Authorities say Leventhal would offer to purchase property from the victims and rent it to them on a rent-to-own basis - usually taking a $1,000 “commitment deposit" from the victims, police said. The victims were contacted through websites such as www.rent2ownconnect.com , www.hslhomes.com , and www.craigslist.com and lost between $1,000 and $8,000.
  
  
• Investigators say Leventhal targeted people with bad credit or those who were losing their homes. He is accused of scamming people around the country. Police say they believe there are a large number of victims. The incident remains under investigation. If you believe you have been a victim or know someone who was involved, please contact Easton Police at 508-230-3322.

Source: Suspect arrested in rent-to-own scam (Victims found on various sites lost thousands).