Daytona man arrested for fraud scheme to obtain property from people he knew

VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — A Daytona Beach man has been arrested, accused of carrying out a scheme to defraud people he knew out of their own property.

>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<

Prosecutors with the Seventh Circuit State Attorney’s White Collar Fraud Unit say 35-year-old Javon Walden created and filed fraudulent deeds in an effort to obtain property from people with whom he grew up.

READ: 4 dead after driver fleeing arrest causes chain-reaction crash, sheriff says

“He used his knowledge of these folks and their particular vulnerabilities to feed his greed,” State Attorney R.J. Larizza said.

According to Walden’s arrest report, one victim called to report the fraud after going to an acquaintance’s home and finding two men who claimed they were given keys to “clean the place up.”

The next day, the victim returned to the home to find a U-Haul truck backed into the home and workers removing property from it.

The workers identified Walden as the person who paid them to remove everything from the home.

READ: ‘It’s too dangerous’: Residents say not enough is being done to protect drivers at busy intersection

The victim contacted the Volusia County property appraiser’s office, who informed her that there were indeed multiple “red flags” on the documents for the home.

According to the arrest report, one such document was hand written, contained a number of errors, and appeared to have been signed by the owner a full week after she’d died.

The property appraiser’s office told investigators the document should never even have been submitted.

After interviewing witnesses and gathering additional evidence, Walden was arrested and charged with fraud.

READ: Mother of man shot by Orlando police says he’s an army veteran being treated for PTSD

He’s being held in the Volusia County jail on $50,000 bond.

Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.

Cox Media Group