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A Portland man has pleaded guilty Tuesday (September 14) to a bank fraud scheme involving a home he didn't own, according to KATU.
Alireza Zamanizadeh, 63, allegedly filed a “quitclaim deed” in Deschutes County back in February 2017, court documents say. This transferred a residential property in Bend, without the property owner's consent, to Zamanizadeh's business for only a dollar, according to the U.S. District Court in Oregon.
After making the transfer, he then took out a loan using the property as collateral, prosecutors claim. Zamanizadeh also allegedly forged the property owner's signature on a statement required to process the loan. Over $316,000 was transferred to the Zamanizadeh's account after the mortgage company approved the loan, reporters learned.
"Zamanizadeh was formally charged in mid-June of this year. His sentencing is set for early January of 2022," KATU wrote. "Officials say bank fraud is punishable by up to 30 years in prison, a $1 million fine, and three years of supervised release."
There have been some other wild incidents involving people's homes across the U.S. Last month, a Texas couple found out their "forever home" was built on the wrong property. Earlier this year, some scammers rented an Indiana couple's home -- and they weren't aware of it.