VIRGINIA BEACH
Josephine Bodmer is 84 years old and broke. A lawyer took all of her savings.
She remembers the man vividly. His name is Troy A. Titus - a handsome, charismatic, young man. Good Christian family. His father was dean of the Regent University School of Law.
He seemed smart, trustworthy. Bodmer gave him $220,000 to put into a trust fund so she could live off the $1,500-a-month annuity.
For a while, the checks arrived every month, then they started arriving late. Finally, they stopped altogether.
She never got her money back.
Today, Bodmer lives in an assisted living apartment and depends on her children for day-to-day expenses. She is deeply embarrassed.
"He took every cent I had," she said. "He destroyed me."
And she is not alone.
A little over two years ago, Titus surrendered his law license under pressure, facing 15 complaints from former clients, investors and banks. The bar then permanently revoked his license. Since then, he has been sued 12 times by people alleging fraud, theft and deception.
Tallying up the court claims, clients of Titus say they lost somewhere between $2 million and $3 million. Other clients and investors interviewed said they gave Titus money and never sued to get it back because they didn't think they could recover their money.
The Virginia State Bar revoked Titus' license for "ethical misconduct" - bouncing checks on his client trust accounts. And not just a few checks: At one point in 2004, Titus' real estate trust account was $2.5 million in the hole, according to the bar.
All of that money came from clients' real estate closings. Titus was supposed to hold the money just long enough to pay off the old mortgages and the sellers.
Some clients later sued Titus to recover their money, and some have won judgments against him. With rare exception, Titus usually does not file answers to these lawsuits and does not show up in court to defend himself.
As a result, Titus has lost several cases by default.
Last year, for example, a Virginia Beach judge awarded one former client $500,000 in compensatory damages and $100,000 in punitive damages arising from a complex real estate swindle. In that case, the judge specifically ruled that Titus had committed fraud against the client.
The FBI is investigating Titus. He has not been charged with any crimes, and the FBI will not comment on the investigation, but many former clients and lawyers representing them have been visited by FBI agents, one as recently as December.
Titus did not return repeated calls to his work and home. When a reporter did reach him, Titus promised to call back, but he never did.
Frustration
Today, Titus works far from the legal arena. He is a sales manager at a Norfolk car dealership.
He say he has no money. Recently, in a sworn deposition, he said he and his wife and children are living with his in-laws in Virginia Beach.
As a result, former clients and investors who lost money to Titus are finding it's easy to win court cases against him but extremely difficult to collect their judgments.
For example, a title insurance company won a $200,000 judgment against Titus in 2006 and has spent the past two years trying to collect it. The company filed more than a dozen garnishments against Titus' wages and corporate holdings and tried to uncover hidden assets. It even forced the auction of Titus' household belongings in 2006, including his surfboard, golf clubs and CD collection.
Even so, the title insurance company has recovered $130,000 - roughly two-thirds of the original judgment.
At that, it was lucky. Other Titus victims have received nothing.
Bodmer, for example, won a $300,000 court judgment against Titus last year - the remaining balance of $201,000 plus interest. The judge ruled there was "clear and convincing evidence" that Titus had "breached his fiduciary duties" to Bodmer.
Still, she hasn't recovered a penny from Titus. "It's just such a lost cause," said her lawyer, John S. Burton.
The State Bar has paid partial compensation to three of Titus' former clients, with two more claims pending. The maximum possible payment is $50,000. It comes from the bar's Clients' Protection Fund, which pays victims of lawyers who cannot collect from other sources, such as legal malpractice insurance.
In one case in which the bar paid $50,000 to a former Titus client, the bar specifically noted it was for embezzlement.
Most frustrating to former clients is Titus' reputation as a self-styled "asset protection" guru.
For several years before he surrendered his law license, Titus traveled the country giving lectures and selling DVDs, telling people how to shelter money from the taxman and courts. In one taped lecture, Titus told his audience, hypothetically, "I want to have my cake and eat it, too. I want to keep all of my assets but not have to lose them in the event that a judgment does come against me."
Bodmer still doesn't understand how such a nice man could have taken her savings.
"If you met him," she said, "you'd be impressed. He had so much charisma, and he was so charming. I loved him."
A charmer
In a videotaped lecture, Titus exudes confidence. He is dressed in a dark business suit and appears younger than his 41 years. He talks smoothly, reassuringly, without hesitations.
Half a dozen former clients and investors interviewed for this story used the same word to describe him: charming.
Lonnie Scruggs, a 78-year-old real estate investor from Chesapeake, met Titus through a local investment club. Titus did dozens of closings for club members and was highly respected, Scruggs said.
That's why Scruggs trusted Titus with $500,000 in 2005. Scruggs still has the signed note in which Titus promised to return the money anytime Scruggs wanted it.
A year later, Scruggs demanded the money, but Titus didn't return it.
"Everyone loved Troy," Scruggs said. "He was a gifted person. If you didn't know him and you spent a couple of hours with him, you'd be ready to give him a check. At one point, I couldn't have asked for a better friend."
Jason Umidi, a 40-year-old real estate investor from Norfolk, grew up with Titus. He surfed with Titus and attended Greenbrier Christian Academy in Chesapeake with Titus' younger brother.
There was a strong family connection: Umidi's father is a theology professor at Regent. Titus' father was dean of Regent's law school.
Umidi said he came to Titus with a simple real estate deal in 2005. He said the deal went sour, and it eventually cost him about $30,000 in unnecessary costs. Yet, going into the deal, Umidi said he had no doubts about trusting Titus.
"He's smooth as silk," he said. "You automatically assume it's a family of faith and you can trust him."
Another friend, Richard J. Conrod Sr., is Titus' former law partner.
Like Titus, Conrod earned his law degree from Regent. Early in his career, Conrod said, Titus gave him many cases and advised him on how to set up a law practice.
Later, Conrod bought Titus' law firm and kept Titus as a $100,000-a-year employee. That was one year before Titus surrendered his law license.
Five lawsuits against Titus in Virginia Beach Circuit Court name Conrod as a co-defendant.
Conrod has consistently said he knew nothing about Titus' misdeeds, and there has never been a court judgment against him. In fact, Conrod said, he spent more than $600,000 of his own money cleaning up hundreds of Titus' real estate closings and estate cases.
He said he worked seven days a week for a year and took no vacations except Christmas, tying up loose ends.
"I didn't have a clue what was happening with Troy until after the fact," Conrod said. "I trusted Troy implicitly. He'd been nothing but good to me."
He said he think s Titus kept poor records and got in over his head. "I have a real hard time believing he set out to steal money from people," Conrod said.
The State Bar
At a minimum, Titus was sloppy.
It started in 2003. That year, the Virginia State Bar slapped Titus with a $5,000 penalty and said he had closed 1,000 to 1,300 real estate transactions without registering as a settlement agent.
Then it got much worse.
On Sept. 28, 2005, the bar issued a 13-page report on Titus' "ethical misconduct." Titus signed the report and admitted that everything in it was true.
The report focused on Titus' lousy bookkeeping. It said he received at least 15 overdraft notices from local banks between 2002 and 2005. Many of the bounced checks were large. One was for $149,000. Another was for $172,000. Another was for $397,000.
Worse, every time Titus and the bar tried to reconcile his accounts, they failed.
For example, Titus told the bar he had hired an accountant in 2003 to reorganize his firm's accounting system. It didn't work. The accountant said it was impossible "because of the enormity and complexity of the problem," the report said.
Again, the accountant tried to clean up the mess. Again, he failed. At one point in 2004, the accountant found Titus had a bank balance of $2.1 million and outstanding checks totaling $4.7 million - a deficit of $2.56 million.
After that, Titus never gave the accountant any more information and "continued to engage in ethical misconduct," the report said.
Finally, in 2005, Titus' lawyer told the bar his client had a "massive bookkeeping problem." He said Titus had hired a comptroller but she never completely fixed Titus' books.
Titus surrendered his law license rather than fight the charges.
Then came a flood of lawsuits.
The lawsuits
The bar investigation raised many questions but provided few answers.
Why were Titus' books a mess? Was it just sloppiness? Did he take the money himself? In 2006 and 2007, lawsuits made new allegations and answered some of the old questions.
Some of the claims were relatively simple.
For example, a Richmond woman named Jean S. Jacques sued Titus in August 2007. The lawsuit accused Titus of taking $65,000 from Jacques' trust account "for his own benefit, including making bad real estate investments." Jacques is an elderly woman in a nursing home. The money came from her mother's inheritance.
The case is pending. Titus has never filed a reply.
Other cases were more complex.
One involved a Virginia Beach widow named Doris Addenbrook. She owned a house on the North End. Titus was her lawyer.
According to the lawsuit filed in Virginia Beach Circuit Court, Titus persuad ed her in 2004 to convey the house to a trust controlled by Titus. One year later, Titus conveyed the house to his law partner, Kristina Cardwell, in exchange for $560,000, the lawsuit said. To finance the sale, Cardwell took out a $499,999 mortgage, according to the suit.
Addenbrook received none of the money. The claim against Titus, filed in October 2006, accused Titus and Cardwell of taking the money for their own personal use.
At first, Titus contested the lawsuit. Later, his lawyer dropped out and Titus did not file any more papers or appear in court.
As a result, the court in May 2007 awarded Addenbrook $500,000 in compensatory damages and $100,000 in punitive damages. The judge ruled that Titus had committed fraud. There was no judgment against Cardwell. She declined to be interviewed for this story.
Another lawsuit involved a Beach couple named Glenn and Shirley Sawyer. The suit, filed in Circuit Court in March 2007, accused Titus, Cardwell and the law firm's office manager of conducting a "joint scheme" to defraud the Sawyers.
According to the lawsuit, Titus persuad ed the Sawyers to invest $300,000 in two Virginia Beach properties that he did not own in exchange for a series of fraudulent deeds.
Meanwhile, Titus, Cardwell and the office manager used the Sawyers' $300,000 "for their own personal benefit and gain, including their own personal investments and living expenses," the lawsuit says.
The case is scheduled for trial in May. Titus has not filed a reply. Cardwell and the office manager have denied the accusations.
Hotel deal
In South Carolina, a hotel deal landed Titus in federal court.
It began when a California couple, Steve and Robin Witmer, met Titus in 2003 on a cruise. The Witmers were impressed. They hired him to do some estate planning work.
"I looked him up," Steve Witmer said. "He and his dad had impeccable credentials."
The Witmers gave Titus confidential financial information. Papers flew back and forth. The Witmers said they signed whatever Titus gave them.
Then last year, out of the blue, the couple was served with a lawsuit from South Carolina.
The lawsuit by Days Inns Worldwide Inc. said the Witmers guaranteed a deal with a hotel in Manning, S.C., and the contract had been breached, so they are liable for penalties.
Trouble is, the Witmers say they've never heard of the hotel. They say they've never been to South Carolina and they never signed any guarantee for any hotel. "We had nothing to do with any part of that deal," Steve Witmer said.
The lawsuit mentions penalties of $76,000. The Witmers say they could be on the hook for $200,000.
They blame Titus.
In court papers, the Witmers say Titus used their names, without permission, on a guarantee for the hotel. They suggested that Days Inn sue Titus, not them. "Mr. Titus is the person who defrauded them, apparently using our name and information he had gathered through our estate planning process," the Witmers wrote in a letter to the judge filed Jan. 11.
Steve Witmer is 54 and partially paralyzed. Robin is 46 and a stay-at-home caregiver for Steve and their four children. They say they are broke and couldn't possibly have guaranteed a hotel deal.
To defend themselves, the Witmers said they spent $20,000 on a lawyer they later fired.
"We don't have the money now to retain another attorney," they wrote to the judge. "They want a $20,000 retainer and $10,000-a-month fee, plus expenses. This is more than we make in a year, and quite simply impossible.
"To make the decision to represent ourselves is ignorant and scary," they wrote. "We know nothing about legal maneuvering and will certainly suffer at the hands of an experienced legal firm."
The Witmers filed a counterclaim against Titus in May, saying he acted without their authority. Titus has not filed an answer.
The case is pending.
Payback?
In September, Titus gave a sworn deposition in the Sawyer case.
He was grilled by the Sawyers' lawyer, Jason C. Roper. Over and over, Titus sai d he did not know important details of his own business - whether he owned certain properties and what had happened to lawsuits against him.
Finally, Roper asked the key question: Will the Sawyers ever get their money back?
"Yes," Titus replied.
"How?"
"I owe them money. I'll pay it back."
"You are living with your in-laws and work in a car company. How are you going to pay them back $300,000?... Just tell me. Since you don't have a lawyer here to object, please, tell me how you're going to pay them back."
"I owe them money," Titus repeated. "I'll pay it back."
Marc Davis, (757) 222-5131, marc.davis@pilotonline.com
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CROOKED LAWYER HURTS EVERYONE
As an attorney I obviously find his conduct offensive. Guys like this further distruct of the legal system and make it harder for people to trust professionals to get the help they need. Given what I read here, there was nothing "accidental" about this guy's conduct. It shows a systematic approach to defraud clients out of their savings over a period of years. Some acts are so blatant, as in the hotel case, that the guy should definitely be in prison for an extended period of time. The car dealership that employed him should be exposed by name for letting a con man have acess to the personal identifying information of their customers. If I bought a car at that dealership during the time that he worked there I would be terrified and checking my credit report regularly. This is true whether he did my deal or not, he'd probably be smart enough to steal the client info of other finance mangers so the trail did not lead back to him.
Rebuttal to GetReal1 from Lonnie Scruggs courtesy of MikeVAB
To “GetReal”
I usually don’t respond to people who have no clue what they’re talking about, but since my name was mentioned, I’ll make an exception. It’s very obvious you can’t see the trees or the forest. But don’t feel bad because his victims, (me included) were, at one time, where you are now...in the twilight zone. Troy was (is) a master at being able to create a false sense of trust & friendship & use it for his personal gain. And he has the track record to prove it. I’ve seen some real pro’s in my time, but he is by far the best of the best.
Since you’re insinuating that he couldn’t have done all this himself, maybe you know something the rest of us don’t. Would you be kind enough to share that info with us? I’m sure the FBI would like to know, also. Are your comments based on facts, hearsay, or fiction? Believe me, Titus didn’t need any help, he’s that good.
And I really would like to know how I benefited from “most” of his seminars. Got any facts or documentation on that? Or were you simply just shooting from the lip? I did one seminar with him (before I knew what he really was). I spoke one day, he spoke part of the next day.
Troy Titus
First, let me introduce myself. I am Grace McGee (Troy Titus' second ex wife). I have read all of the comments that have been posted, plus I have filtered numerous phone calls, txt msgs and emails concerning the article that was in the paper about Troy.
I would like to first address the person who states that Troy couldn't had done this all by himself and makes note to his ex-wife. You should think twice before throwing out accusations. Clearly you do not know the facts of the case. If you are interested, you can go to the Virginia Beach Circuit Court or call my divorce attorney, Henry Schwan and he will be glad to inform you that during my divorce from Troy, Troy rised the issue of me stealing from his trust account. However, any of you who deal with trust accounts (whether real estate or attorney's trust accounts) know that everything is black and white. Troy could not prove any of his statements about me stealing from his trust account because I never did.
As far as Troy balancing his trust accounts, he never did it. He had hired several accountants in, while we were together and they couldn't balance the accounts.
I have ran a real estate title company for the past five
To "GetReal"
To “GetReal”
I usually don’t respond to people who have no clue what they’re talking about, but since my name was mentioned, I’ll make an exception. It’s very obvious you can’t see the trees or the forest. But don’t feel bad because his victims, (me included) were, at one time, where you are now...in the twilight zone. Troy was (is) a master at being able to create a false sense of trust & friendship & use it for his personal gain. And he has the track record to prove it. I’ve seen some real pro’s in my time, but he is by far the best of the best.
Since you’re insinuating that he couldn’t have done all this himself, maybe you know something the rest of us don’t. Would you be kind enough to share that info with us? I'm sure the FBI would like to know, too. Are your comments based on facts, hearsay, or fiction? Believe me, Titus didn’t need any help, he’s that good.
And I really would like to know how I benefited from “most” of his seminars. Got any facts, or documentation on that? Or were you simply just shooting from the lip? I did one seminar with him (before I knew what he really was). I spoke one day, he spoke part of the next day.
get real
Peolpe can you see the forest through the tress? Who is this Troy Titus? The LONE RANGER? Come on he didnt do all of this by himself.If you know anything regarding runing a law practice tyou would KNOW someone other THAN Troy was reconcilling his books......ever think of that? What about his THEN Operations Manager, His THEN wife, his THEN partner Kris Carwell hmmmmm, Did any of you bother to reda the write up on him on the State Bar website, I believe some of those people were named....EDUCATE yourselves............
If Troy did do all of these alleged crimes he did not do them alone. Who can speak all over the country, run 4 law firms, attend court preceedings daily and jimmy the books all in a days pay?
Scruggs is full of it as he was a Seminar Guru himself, he benefitted from most of Troy's local tidewater seminars, hmmmm, Do the math...all this crime and only 1 person to blame, now THATS the easy way to convict. These investors who lost there money were receiving hefty intrest payments until the money ran out! Now they are all mad. Its just business gone bad. If I lent you a 100,00 and you didnt pay me back- thats my problem!!
"had since given his life to Christ"?
Didn't he do that many years ago? All this talk of forgiveness..... Let us know what church hires him as business manager with full access to church funds.
humans make mistakes
I have had the honor of working with Troy at the car dealership where he has been working to support his wife and kids. If no one had ever told me to google his name, I would have never thought he was capable of doing that. After speaking with him on the subject he replied that he was guilty, he made mistakes, but he had since given his life to Christ and turned it around. He knows that he has a long way to go to repair some of the damage that he has done. But I think this article has done more harm than good on the situation. In my time working with him, I never saw him do one dishonest or immoral thing. If a pretty girl walked by, he wouldn't even give her a second glance. Now that this article has come out and details of his employment were raised, it is going to be a lot harder for any of these people to be re paid by him. Printing this story not only hurt a man and his family, but took money right out of the pockets of people who he was trying to pay back. The past should be left behind. I admire him for his resiliency and we could all learn a thing or two from him. It takes a pretty big man to admit that he is guilty, we should all give him a little bit more credit and stop t
People don't ever believe in
People don't ever believe in second chances i guess. I mean people all make mistake some are worse then others. I don't think Troy purposly ripped those people off. I mean he's just as bad off as the people he stole money from. Now, he's just trying to make something better for himself. He definetly worked hard at Bay helping them with all there improvements and promotions.
Glad to hear it
I am glad to hear that poor Troy no longer has gainful employment. While the dealership is not to blame for Troy's past sins, some of the people there have known about his background for almost a year and really should have kept him out of people's financial records. I hope their mistake in hiring him does not cause them any harm as they were probably another victim of his lies.
On another subject - Regent University, and Troy's father (upbringing) are not to blame for his lying, cheating, scamming, stealing ways. ONLY Troy Titus is responsible for his actions - it is called a FREE WILL and we were all created with one.
Awww
You mean that the dealership(Bay) was ok with his employment until the paper called him out? What happened? A sudden resignation? Life amongst the faithful is hard indeed. C'mon guys, what would Jesus do? Worry about the bottom line? How is he going to pay back those people now?
No longer a Car dealership employee
Please be advise, Troy Titus is NO LONGER an employee of said car dealership.
Ps.
Please note that the person below who wrote "What's the difference between Troy and you or me?", has made a political statement. Basically, the person who has the audacity to imply we are all similiar to him also lays down the moral judgement of suggestin he be Clinton's running mate. Anyone confused by the motives here? She claims he is the same as the rest of us, then proceeds to suggest he be the vice president. So...are you declaring him a crook or not? Are suggesting that Mrs. Clinton is a crook? Are you a crook? Are you suggesting those who oppose Hillary C. are crooks? Please clarify.
Reply
"What's the difference between Troy and you or me?" I cannot speak for you of course but personally, I don't rip people off and ruin their lives. I don't use peoples trust in me to injure them. That seems to be a good start on how I am different from Mr. Titus.
Don't hold his current employer responsible
I do not think it's right to mention his current employer on these comments. They have NOTHING to do with what Troy did in the past. I know for a fact that this car dealership is nothing but repsectable and completely credit worthy. My husband is a long time employee there. The owner of this car dearlship is an upstanding businessman. So please do not make references to his current employer. Say what you will about Troy, he's made his bed and now he has to lay in it BUT please do not make other innocent bystandards pay for Troy's mistakes.
PEACE!!
That's the Ticket!
Troy Titus and Hillary Clinton, 2008!!!!!!!!!!
Hey! It's Troy!
You never know when you'll meet up with someone from your childhood. I went to church with Troy. You know.........people screw up, some rather more spectacularly than others. It's a bad thing to put this on someone else, though.... his dad....Regent....God.... All of us claim great moments of brilliance, and equally great moments of stupidity. Punish him, if he's guilty, but move on with your days. What's the difference between Troy and you or me?
Don't blame Regent . . . OR God
I can appreciate the frustration that many feel when they read this story about Troy Titus. Obviously there are serious issues here that need to be addressed. Troy needs help, and somebody needs to find a way to help the victims who have suffered at his hands. But it isn't fair to blame Regent University for Troy's sins and mistakes. The professors there did not teach him to lie, cheat and steal -- just the opposite, they tried to instill a strong code of ethics into their students.
I know because I am a Regent graduate. No, I'm not a lawyer, but I did study Public Policy under Troy's father, Herb Titus -- who is as decent and honorable a man as ever walked the Earth. I am sure that Herb is grieved by the wrong actions of his son, as any parent would be.
Some people simply hate God and look for any excuse to blast Christians as phonies and hypocrites. Sadly, a case such as this gives them a lot of opportunity to have a field day. But the fact is, Troy is responsible for his own actions. It isn't God's fault when people choose to sin. Nor is it the fault of Troy's loving and honorable parents, nor the dedicated Regent professors, and not even of Pat Robertson, who is usually one o
Trelli Inc..
You should look this loser up under the company, "Trelli Inc.."
I recently sold a property in Virginia Beach to Troy Titus and his partner Doug T Gray, doing business as "Trelli Inc". I required a $5000 non-refundable deposit from Trelli Inc. As we approached the closing date, no one, including his partner and his real estate agents could reach Titus. He had seemingly vanished. The title company called everyday trying to get the corporate documents required for closing. On the day of closing, I find out the promised documents never arrived. The closing was cancelled.
Titus and his undoubtedly suckered partner Doug T Gray forfeited the deposit and lost the very desireable property to another buyer. This guy Titus obviously continues to have some very serious issues.
You just have to be smarter than the typical idiot he is.
Next time you are in Court
watch very close and the only people sworn to tell the whole truth and nothing, but the truth are the people testifying. Have you ever seen a lawyer in court raise their hand to tell the truth. I do realize they, lawyers, have a code of ethics like most working professionals. This guy is not the norm for most lawyers, he is the exception to the rule. The truth is this guy needs a reality check and don't blame it on poor book keeping when you owe 2 or 3 million dollars to people. He should never be allowed to work in a position where he has the chance to handle vast amounts of money.
Shared Responsibility
The State Bar should be held liable for paying back these poor sheep, I mean people, who this con-man Fleeced. The Bar was aware of his Shenanigans at the time, did little if not anything, and are now still making excuses. Should be renamed The Crooks Club. By the way, we don't hear very many reputible lawyers condeming this Clown. Typical.
Brother Pat's legacy again . . .
Yeah, remember that Regent girl grad who worked for Gonzy's Justice Dept.? you know, the one who took the Fifth.
But hey, the founder of that place is the biggest snake-oil merchant of them all.
RE: michaelh43266
You mean I'm not the only one who finds it weird that that a Regent University lawyer is bad? I'll be brutally blunt here: This man and "his kind" are the "bane of a human's exsistence"..especially in this area! Nice to know where he works now! Thought I saw a guy resembling an ad from Abercrombie & Fitch near this dealership..or was he selling pot? Any other Regent U. lawyers on this type of track? I'd be real interested to see those kind of stories. Class action suit against Regent? I know...sorry. Really reaching now. No..more like "hoping and wishing"!
car dealership?
For those of you wondering what car dealership Mr. Titus is working at.. a simple yahoo search told me that he's an HR manager at Bay Chevrolet Saab Kia, off of Military Hwy.
Troy Titus should be unemployed
My friend bought a vehicle there and was told that she would have to deal with Troy Titus as the finance guy. Not only did she refuse to do business with him, but she told them all that she knew about him. Recently she has received postcards from him as he's replaced her original salesman. If I had bought a Chevy, a Kia or a Saab in the Norfolk area, I'd worry about his access to my finacial records.
Another Regent University Law Graduate
It is long past time that this story was told. Sadly, if the Virginia State Bar had moved more quickly, many might not have lost their money to Titus. One of the most disgusting things about the whole situation is how Titus used his professed devout religous beliefs and Regent University ties to fleece the unwary. Unfortunately, there more out there like him.
Virginian Pilot owes us more
It is irresponsible for the Pilot to fail to follow-up on identifying the dealership where Mr. Titus is working as Sales Manager. All the Pilot had to do was ask the lawyer (Roper) . Credit reports and other private information are at risk in the face of a known and desperate con man!!! How about an obligation to protect the public from possible new acts by this man.
Another Con Man lawyer!
It would be a pretty sure bet that any of the stolen money is long gone out of the Country, and there will be very little chance of anyone getting recovery of the money that this lawyer conned them out of!
The first question that comes to mind is, why is this lawyer not in the pokey for a long time? (20-30 at least)
Friends in high places?
The previous comment about these kinds of con men going on to be politicians seems to be on the mark.
Very good story.
I wonder......
This Turkey should be doing about 10 years in the crossbar hotel to assist in restoring his memory.
Of course I do wonder what he promised these folks in order for them to turn over huge amounts of cash and property deeds. Let's see, what was that old adage, something about if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is? It was.
Great story!
Oh well
Too bad someone can't call in weed growing in his garage. I guess you just don't get much jail time for destroying peoples lives.
How is this guy out of prison
I do hope the FBI comes down like a hammer in this case, but where is VBPD in all this - wait, they're doing real police work like removing posters at the mall... There is NOT A PRAYER (funny with the Regent connections) that this man can or ever will pay anyone a dime that he owes.
What car dealership is this conman working for anyway? Why was that information not part of the story? The general public should know that some idiot dealership owner has this cheat on the payroll with access to credit reports and other sensitive financial information. That's a disaster waiting to happen!
Maybe he's one of VB City Council's "golden boys" too - maybe that's why he hasn't been prosecuted locally... Let's just hope the FBI comes through and lowers the boom.