PASCO COUNTY, Fla. — A Tampa Bay-area duo was arrested this week for a multi-year deed fraud operation carried out in Hillsborough and Pasco counties, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
FDLE says 51-year-old Orenthanal Bennett of Tampa and 48-year-old Victoria Strickler of Babson Park specifically targeted vulnerable homeowners in their calculated scheme.
The investigation began in February 2019 when the Pasco County Sheriff's Office contacted FDLE. Investigators said they discovered Bennett and Strickler were illegally taking possession of properties and selling them for a profit.
According to FDLE, the duo would find neglected properties owned by elderly people or estates of people who had passed and then prepare fraudulent deeds transferring the property to themselves.
After the deed documents were filed with the clerk of courts, Bennett and Strickler would reportedly sell the properties and pocket the profits without ever contacting the properties' legal owners. The estimated losses total just under $900,000.
“Stealing from our community’s most vulnerable and those who already suffered the loss of a family member is despicable. I’m proud of the work our agents have done to make sure these people could not steal one more home and profit off of someone’s pain," FDLE Special Agent in Charge Mark Brutnell said.
Strickler was arrested on April 17 while Bennett was arrested on April 18. They are each charged with a first-degree felony of organized scheme to defraud over $50,000.
They were taken to the Hillsborough County Jail with a $50,000 bond each. Strickler bonded out the same day she was arrested while Bennett bonded out on Friday morning, according to jail records.
“This duo stole possession of others’ property by filing fraudulent deeds—targeting land owned by seniors suffering from dementia or property where owners had passed away. In Florida, we fight to protect our seniors and hold criminals accountable. Grateful for our law enforcement partners stopping this illicit scheme," Attorney General Ashley Moody said.
