A woman is facing 25 years in prison after renting out at least five homes she didn’t own, most of which were in foreclosure, which has hit Prince George’s County hard.
Shannon Lee would break into foreclosed homes, forge deeds and rent them.
“The burglary case involves her going and finding this property that’s a foreclosed property, entering it, taking photographs, using it almost as if it were her own, posting it on Craigslist, advertising this property as a rental property,” Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Angela Alsobrooks said.
Lee was discovered after someone in the process of foreclosing a house on Reims Court in Upper Marlboro went to collect her mail and noticed the house was occupied. Locks had been changed and a new family had moved into the house.
That family still lives there, having worked out a deal to let them stay through the end of the lease. The father said his family has already dug into the community and has children in school there but now must look at starting over again.
“That’s what Shannon Lee did was find a way to profit from other people’s misfortune,” Alsobrooks said.
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Police were able to find a few more homes connected to Lee that she did not own.
Lee pleaded guilty this week to burglary and fraud charges.
