Charleston, WV (WOAY) A Kanawha County man has pleaded guilty in connection with a fraudulent real estate scheme.
Authorities report Jesse Ian Smith entered a plea on March 2 in Kanawha County Circuit Court before Judge Jennifer Bailey, admitting to obtaining money by false pretenses.
Investigators say Smith, along with others, created a fake quitclaim deed using forged signatures and a fraudulent notary stamp for a property on Martins Branch Road in Charleston.
Authorities say that the document was then used to transfer ownership of the property and collect ten thousand dollars from a buyer, leaving the rightful owners with financial losses and unable to sell their property.
Officials say the investigation required extensive follow-up and coordination to fully piece together the fraud.
Smith has been sentenced to 1 to 10 years in prison, to run concurrently with another felony sentence he is already serving.
Additional charges were dismissed as part of a plea agreement, and restitution for the victims is still under consideration.
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