WE
WE FOUND
WE FOUND A GUY WHO WENT TO PRISON FOR THIS SCAM, AND NOW
HE IS ACCUSED O+@F DOING IT
AGAIN, WHILE LOCKED UP.
INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER, TANYA
EISNER TALKED TO HIM.
>> HE WANTS+@ TO TALK TO ME?
I WANT TO TALK TO HIM.
+@
I WANT TO TALK TO HIM. HEY RINALDO.
HEY RINALDO.
+@
+@ >>
+@ >> WHAT'S GOOD?
>> Reporter: RINALDO+@ ORTIZ MA
HIS MONEY STEALING PEOPLE'S
PROPERTIES.
PROPERTIES. +@
PROPERTIES. >> I GOT ME A COUPLE OF HOUSES.
>> Reporter: AT LEAST 25 TIMES
IN DALLAS CO+@UNTY, ALONE.
>> SHOULD IT+@ BE THAT EASY TO
FRAUDULENTLY TR+@ANSFER PROPERT
>> IT SHOULDN'T BE LIKE THAT,
BUT THAT IS HOW EASY IT WAS.
+@
BUT THAT IS HOW EASY IT WAS. +@>> Reporter: IN FACT, IT IS S
EASY, HE EVEN ALLEGEDLY +@DID I
FROM HIS PRISON CELL.
SO, HOW DOES SOMEONE STEAL YOUR
PROPERTY?
PROPERTY?
PROPERTY? WHEN A PROPERTY NEEDS TO BE
FILED WITH THE COUNTY CLERK, NO
ONE CHECKS TO SEE IF IT IS
LEGIT.
LEGIT.
LEGIT. SO
LEGIT. SO SCAMMERS ARE FORGING
PEOPLE'S+@ SIGNATURES ON DEEDS.
EVEN THE SIGNATURES OF DEAD
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE. TAKING CONTROL OF PROPERTY+@ TH
DON'T OWN.
DON'T OWN. AND THEN, EITHE+@R SELLING IT,
RENTING IT OUT TO MAKE EASY
MONEY.
MONEY.
MONEY. ORTIZ IS JUST THE LATEST
DISCOVERY WE HAVE +@MADE IN AN
ONGOING WFAA INVESTIGATION.
I'M TANYA EISNER WITH CHANNEL 8.
BACK IN M+@AY, WE TOLD YOU ABOU
REAL ESTATE INVESTOR, WILLIAM
BALDRIDGE.
BALDRIDGE. THERE ARE A WHOLE LOT OF
PROPERTIES THAT HAVE BEEN
CONVEYED YOUR COMPANY, WHERE
+@
CONVEYED YOUR COMPANY, WHERE PEOPLE ARE DEAD.
>> PLEASE GET OUT OF MY FACE.
>> Reporter: LIKE ORTIZ, WE
FOUND OUT BALDRIDGE HAD ALSO
GOTTEN+@ SIGNATURES ON PROPERTY
DEEDS FROM DEAD PEOPLE.
WERE, EVEN PEOPLE T+@HAT DID NO
EXIST.
EXIST.
EXIST. THOSE DOCUMENTS THEN ALLOWED
BALDRIDGE'S COMPANY TO GAIN
OWNERSHIP OF HOMES IN DALLAS,
AND HOUSTON.
AND HOUSTON. A CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION INTO
BALDRIDGE IS UNDERWAY.
LET'S GO B+@ACK TO RINALDO ORTI
THIS IS SURVEILLANCE VIDEO OF
INVESTIGATORS INTERROGATING HIM
TWO YEARS AGO.
>> DID HE SIGN THAT DID?
OR DID YOU SIGN IT?
>> HE CLAIMS THE OWNER SIGNED
IT.
IT.
IT. >>
IT. >> NO.
>> NO.
>> NO. >>
>> NO. >> Reporter: GIVING HIM CONTROL
OF THE PROPERTY.
+@WATCH, AS THE INVESTIGATOR
CALLS HIM OUT ON HIS LIFE.
>> COME ON, RINALDO.
>> NO, HE DIDN'T.
ARE YOU THE OWNER?
THAT GUY IS BLIND+@.
+@
+@ >>
+@ >> Reporter: ORTIZ +@DIDN'T LIM
HIMSELF TO STEALING HOUSES.
USING FORGED DEEDS, HE
TRANSFERRED OW+@NERSHIP OF THIS
FORMER S+@AM'S CLUB.
THIS USED TO BE A BURGER KING,
HE STOLE THAT TOO.
THANK OFFICIALS WORK OFF-LIMITS
EITHER.
EITHER.
EITHER. THE NAME OF A VICE PRESIDENT AT
CITI MORTGAGE WAS FORGED TO
STEAL THIS HOME.
>> YOU STOLE THIS PROPERTY.
>> I DIDN'T STEAL TH+@E PROPERT
+@
>> I DIDN'T STEAL TH+@E PROPERT >> YES YOU DID, YES YOU DID.
>> Reporter: THAT HOUSE WAS
SOLD TO AN INVESTMENT COMPANY,
IN TURN, THEY SOLD IT TO THE
YOUNG SONG.
YOUNG SONG. >> WE WERE DOING REAL ESTATE AT
THAT TIME, SO WE WERE LOOKING
FOR A DEAL.
>> Reporter: THE+@ REAL ESTATE
DEALS TRIGGERED A YEAR-LONG
LEGAL BATTLE.
LEGAL BATTLE. THE QUESTION, WHO RIGHTFULLY
OWNED THE PROPERTY?
>> I RELY ON TITLE COMPANY,
THAT IS WHY+@ WE PAID THEM TO
AMEND THE TITLE FOR US.
>> Reporter: THE TITLE COMPANY
ULTIMATELY PAID TO SETTLE THE
CASE, GIVING SONG OWNERSHIP OF
THE HOME.
THE HOME.
THE HOME. BEFORE ALL OF T+@HIS, DID YOU
HAVE ANY IDEAL SOMETHING LIKE
THIS COULD HAPPEN?
>> NO, ZERO IDEA.
>> Reporter: ROBBIE IS SONG'S
LAWYER. +@
LAWYER. +@ IS THERE A+@NYTHING SHE COULD
HAVE D+@ONE TO PROTECT YOURSELF
>> IN SONG'S CASE?
NO, BECAUSE SHE +@RELIED ON THE
TITLE COMPANIES, AND EVERYONE
WAS FOOLED.
WAS FOOLED. >> Reporter: ROBBIE SHOWED US A
TYPICAL WARRANTY DEED.
>> ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS MAKE A
SIGNATURE ON ONE OF THESE.
ONCE IT IS RECORDED, AS A
MATTER OF PUBLIC RECORD, YOU
ARE THE NEW OWNER.
>> LAST YEAR, ORTIZ PLE+@ADED
GUILTY TO MORE THAN +@25 COUNTS
OF THEFT, HE GOT A 10 YEAR
SENTENCE.
SENTENCE.
SENTENCE. >> HOW SURPRISING WOULD IT BE
TO YOU, TO KNOW THAT THE PERSON
WHO DID THIS TO YOU IS NOW
ACCUSED OF DOING IT AGAIN FROM
PRISON?
PRISON?
PRISON? >> REALLY?
>> REALLY? I'M SPEECHLESS.
I'M SPEECHLESS. HOW COULD HE DO IT AGAIN?
>> Reporter: ORTIZ NOW FACES
EIGHT NEW FELONIES.
ONE OF THEM INVOLVES A MAN WHO
DIED IN 1994.
YET, LAST YEAR, SOMEHOW, THE
DEAD MAN SUPPOSEDLY SIGNED AWAY
HIS HOME.
HIS HOME.
HIS HOME. >> I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE THEY
ARE SAYING, THEY THEY ARE
SAYING I'M USING MONEY A+@ND
COMMITTING CRIMES, I DIDN'T DID
THAT.
THAT.
THAT. >>
THAT. >> Reporter+@: AND GET THIS, WE
HAVE BEEN LOOKING INTO DIRTY
DEEDS FOR 10 YEARS.
THIS IS NORTH FISHER OF FORT
WORTH+@.
WORTH+@.
WORTH+@. ONE OF THE MOST PROLIFIC REAL
ESTATE SCAMMERS IN NORTH TEXAS
HISTORY.
HISTORY.
HISTORY. >> HOW IS IT THAT THE
SIGNATURES OF DEADMAN COULD BE
NOTARIZED?
NOTARIZED? >> THAT IS IMPOSSIBLE.
>> Reporter: THERE HAVE BEEN
HUNDREDS AND HUNDRED+@S AND
HUNDREDS OF FALSE WARRANTIES
FILED BY LAWRENCE FISHER.
>> Reporter: RETIRED FEDERAL
AGENT, PRESLEY DARNELL LED THE
FISHER INVESTIGATION.
FISHER INVESTIGATION. >> HE CREATED A HUGE MESS.
>> Reporter: FISHER HAS BEEN IN
PRISON, FOR NEARLY A DECADE.
BUT FEW SAFEGUARDS HAVE BEEN
PUT IN PLACE.
EXPERTS SAY REQUIRING ANYONE
+@
EXPERTS SAY REQUIRING ANYONE FILING A D TO SHOW PHOTO
IDENTIFICATION WOULD BE A
START.
START.
START. >>
START. >> OTHERWISE, ANYBODA MAKE
A FORGED DOCUMENTS.
>> Reporter: AND ONE THING IS
FOR CERTAIN, IT SHOULDN'T BE
THAT EASY THAT IT C+@OULD BE DO
FROM PRISON.