By Deborah Goonan, Independent American Communities
Alabama – $375K theft by Condo Manager employed by prominent Real Estate Broker
Jill Rouse Boothby pleaded guilty to creating and submitting false invoices to 11 condo associations she managed, while employed as property manager through Boothby Realty.
Boothby admits that she submitted invoices to Boothy Realty for products and services purchased from her interior design company, Jill Boothby Design, once featured in Southern Living magazine. However, an FBI investigation discovered many products and services listed on those invoices were never actually delivered to the condominium associations. According to reports, fraudulent invoices were submitted to Boothby Realty and paid to Boothby’s design company from 2012 to 2015.
According to its website, Boothby Realty was recently awarded AAMC accreditation by Community Associations Institute (CAI). The company’s Broker, President, and CEO, Elbert Boothby, is a past Board of Trustees member of CAI, and remains active in the Alabama Chapter and its Legislative Action Committee.
Birmingham woman stole $375k from 11 condo associations
Kent Faulk | kfaulk@al.com By Kent Faulk | kfaulk@al.com
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on September 20, 2016 at 12:20 PM, updated September 20, 2016 at 1:49 PM
A woman who managed 11 condominium associations in the Birmingham area has been charged with stealing more than $350,000 from those groups, federal authorities announced Tuesday.Jill Rouse Boothby, 42, was charged Monday with one count of wire fraud, according to a joint statement from U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance and FBI Special Agent in Charge Roger C. Stanton.
Read more:
http://www.al.com/news/birmingham/index.ssf/2016/09/birmingham_woman_stole_350k_fr.html
Florida – Woman charged with diverting $148K to personal bank account
Hammocks Community, located near Miami, recently reported the arrest of Leslie Navarro. Navarro diverted condo maintenance fees (assessments) to a bank account that she opened with a name that was similar to the real name of the HOA. It appears, from the report, that a collection company based in Jacksonville was involved in the theft of nearly $150K.
Navarro was a former accounting assistant for Hammocks Community Association.
The Hammocks is a large scale planned community and Census Designated Place made up of dozens of smaller “local” condominium associations, as well as single family homes. Estimated 2010 population: more than 51,000.
Homeowners maintain a blog to air their grievances and share pertinent information at Hammocks Community Truth Seekers.
Miami-Dade launches first blow in fight against condominium fraud
BY ENRIQUE FLOR
eflor@elnuevoherald.comMiami-Dade police launched their first blow in the fight to end local condominium fraud with the arrest Tuesday of a former accounting assistant accused of stealing thousands of dollars from the condo community.
Leslie Navarro, accused of stealing $148,000 from the Hammocks proprietors’ association, a popular residential area in Kendall, was arrested early on Tuesday by a newly created special police unit. She was charged with first-degree grand theft and organized crime to defraud more than $50,000.
…
According to police, Navarro created a company in December 2014 and named it Hammocks Community Association Properties LLC., a name that is similar to the corporation that is in charge of managing the condominium: Hammocks Community Association Incorporated.
A month later, Navarro opened an account for her corporation at Bank of America, where she began depositing maintenance payments made by Hammock condominium dwellers.
All of these deposits were channeled through Association Capital Resources LLC, a debt collecting company, headquartered in Jacksonville, that had been contracted by the Hammocks proprietors’ association.
Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article103080307.html#storylink=cpy
Arizona – President, Broker of Liberty Management Group arrested for alleged theft of $250K
According to its website, The Mountain Group is the “oldest planned community in Arizona,” situated just outside of Prescott. If you read the fine print, the HOA Was incorporated in 1938, and “is not governed by Arizona Revised Statute (A.R.S.) Title 33, Chapter 16, ‘Planned Communities.'” There are approximately 450 parcels and 1000 residents.
Liberty Management Group, according to its website, manages 16 condo or homeowners associations. Will there be more reports of embezzlement from the other 15 communities?
In 2015, Josh Lethbridge was elected to the Prescott Area Association of Realtors (PAAR) Board of Directors.
Prescott man charged with embezzling $250K
Scott Orr, The Daily Courier
PRESCOTT – The president of the Liberty Management Group was arrested Wednesday, Sept. 21, and charged with embezzling more than $250,000 over 10 years from The Mountain Club, which, until Sept. 1 had been a long-time client of Liberty.
Joshua S. Lethbridge, 49, was taken into custody and charged with multiple felonies including fraudulent schemes and artifices, nine counts of falsely making a written instrument, and six counts of theft with intent to deprive of property.
Read more:
http://www.dcourier.com/news/2016/sep/22/prescott-man-charged-embezzling-250k/
Thank you!
How would I go about getting an FBI Investigation started?
You would have to start here https://www.fbi.gov/investigate
It may not be easy to convince authorities to investigate. The FBI tends to go after the Big Fish rather than small ones.
Yes, every week, another two or three. Theft from homeowners is ongoing.