A glamorous wife and her husband allegedly conned a couple out of their Tampa home in a brazen scam that cost only 70 cents.
Michelle Cherry and Victor Rodriguez are accused of forging documents to swindle homeowners out of their property, in a plot that now has officials scrambling to change state laws.
Security footage taken at the Hillsborough County Clerk’s office shows the shocking moment Cherry and Rodriguez shamelessly worked to pull off same stunt in multiple instances, with the pair accused of walking away with deeds to three properties.
Now their alleged victims are struggling to recover their own homes and face a series lengthy legal battles, using up large sums of money and time to fix.
Prosecutors allege that Michelle Cherry (pictured) and her husband, Victor Rodriguez, stole three properties from unsuspecting homeowners
One of the homes Cherry and Rodriguez stole belonged to Larry and Drea Bilby (pictured), who are still fighting to have their name returned to their property’s deed
Prosecutors claim the pair confidently masqueraded as different homeowners, speaking with clerks to apparently show them the forged documents.
During these appearances, Cherry and Rodriguez allegedly used fraudulent quit claim deeds for the con.
Quit claim deeds – documents that can quickly transfer ownership of a home – enable fraudsters to steal houses with frightening ease.
‘They looked for properties that they believed were abandoned, and then they used online information to forge signatures on these deeds to file them with the clerk of court,’ Florida prosecutor Mike Lennon told ABC.
Lennon said that there has been a ‘big increase’ in the number of these scams.
‘To have someone steal your property is like stealing the American dream. It’s terrible,’ he said.
The Bilbys were not living at the house when it was stolen because it was under construction
Security footage taken at the Hillsborough County Clerk’s office shows Cherry and Rodriguez visiting the premises on several occasions
According to prosecutors, Cherry and Rodriguez used their sordid tactic to steal the home of Larry and Drea Bilby.
‘Just like that your house is stolen. It’s gone,’ Drea said.
‘It only costs 70 cents and some paperwork,’ Larry added.
The Bilbys weren’t living at their home when it was stolen because the property was under construction.
But the couple frequently checked their home security cameras. They have footage which appears to show Cherry and her husband lurking around their property.
In the CCTV – taken on several different occasions – Rodriguez and Cherry appear to have parked their car in the Bilby’s driveaway. At certain points, the alleged fraudsters can be seen peering through the home’s windows.
‘They took our power bill and our water bill. They shut off our name and put their names on it,’ Larry Bilby said.
The fraud would have gone undetected if it hadn’t been for the the county clerk’s office, which grew alarmed by the change in the home’s title.
‘Anytime anything is filed against your property, you get an alert, whether it’s a phone call, a text, or an email. It is a free service,’ Cindy Stuart, a local clerk of court, said.
Prosecutors say that Cherry performed a scam that cost her as little as 70 cents
Cherry allegedly used quit claim deeds – documents that can quickly transfer ownership of a home – to perpetrate her fraud
Even when the Tampa Police opened an investigation into Cherry, the alleged fraudster continued to visit the Bilbys’ property.
In bodycam video, she can be seen standing outside the home, insisting that it belongs to her.
‘I own it. I’m on the current deed,’ Cherry tells police.
In March, Cherry and Rodriguez were both arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit fraud.
Prosecutors believe that stealing the homes was only the first step in a broader nefarious plan.
‘They were stealing these properties with the intent to try to get loans out on the properties or to try to sell them to unsuspecting buyers,’ attorney Lennon said.
In March, Cherry and Rodriguez were both arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit fraud
Victor Rodriguez (pictured) and his wife allegedly used quit claim deeds – documents that can quickly transfer ownership of a home – to perpetrate their fraud
Cherry and Rodriguez have both pleaded not guilty. While Cherry had no comment, Rodriguez’s lawyer said that his client ‘maintains his innocence.’
If convicted, the suspects face up to 285 years in prison.
The Bilbys are still fighting to get their name back on the title to their home, but this has required a vast amount of money, time, and legal work.
The ease with which Cherry and Rodriguez pulled off their alleged fraud has prompted some officials to call for tighter property laws that make it more difficult to use quick claim deeds to sell homes.
‘The fact that the form is so simple and requires so little documentation is problematic,’ Cindy Stuart said.
‘To have someone steal your property is like stealing the American dream. It’s terrible,’ Florida prosecutor Mike Lennon said
In order to avoid a similar swindle, law enforcement says that it is critical to check with your local clerk’s office, as they oversee titles and deeds.
Now every county is offering homeowners access to the property fraud alert system.
It contacts people the moment the deed to their house has been changed. Drea urged homeowners to sign up for the free service.
‘If you don’t sign up for property fraud alert, you’re just asking for the possibility of the same thing that happened to us,’ she said.
