The Winston-Salem Police Department put out a statement detailing a years-long real estate scam perpetrated by Khalil Nadir Rynes.
According to the police statement, one of Rynes’ victims filed a report with WSPD last summer. Earlier in the year, Rynes sold the individual a property he had no legal ownership of.
The victim put $15,000 down for the purchase, which was stolen by the scammer.
And this wasn’t the first time. In late February, WSPD charged Rynes with his 13th felony count of obtaining property by false pretense in Winston-Salem.
The police department’s release says Rynes has defrauded people out of nearly $120,000 over the last five years. He appears to have mainly targeted Latino community members.
Detective Mark Barker is with WSPD’s Financial Crimes Unit. He says there could be others looking to perpetrate similar scams.
"They happen somewhat frequently but I kinda lump this into a rental-type scam too," Barker says. "So home scams in general is kinda how I look at it."
In an interview last month discussing property fraud, Lynne Johnson, Forsyth County’s Register of Deeds described the practice of people illegally reclaiming abandoned, unused or foreclosed properties.
She recalled a situation in 2022 when a woman went to check on her grandmother’s unused property to find the grass cut, the lights on and people inside.
"And she was like ‘Okay, how did you get here, who are you?" Johnson said. "‘We bought it.’ And they had a document that appeared legal, notarized, everything. And the young lady came to the Register of Deeds Office thinking that we could remove it. We don’t have that authority."
Johnson and Barker recommend those looking to buy or rent visit Forsyth County’s Tax Assessor and Register of Deeds’ website to confirm ownership of the property in which they’re interested.
Santiago Ochoa covers healthcare for WFDD in partnership with Report For America. Follow him on X and instagram: @santi8a98