Articles Tagged with real estate

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A Milwaukee landlord was taken into federal custody after investigators alleged he ran a long-term scheme that allowed drug trafficking operations inside his rental properties.

According to a criminal complaint, the 52-year-old property owner controlled more than 150 buildings with over 500 units across the city. Authorities claimed at least 25 of those locations were linked to drug sales, overdoses, or were allegedly used by dealers. The properties were reportedly organized under dozens of LLCs tied to a single real estate business.

Investigators said the operation had been under review since May 2024. During that time, agents allegedly found that various narcotics, including fentanyl, cocaine, and marijuana, were being distributed from multiple units connected to the landlord’s portfolio. When arrests were carried out, authorities reported seizing cash, firearms, scales, and hypodermic needles.

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A mother and son in South Florida allegedly ran a large-scale escort business for over two decades while laundering the money through what appeared to be a legitimate real estate operation.

The escort service, which was officially registered with the state, operated openly under the name “Pretty Woman Escorts.” According to authorities, the business employed staff, including a receptionist and drivers who would transport the escorts to meet clients at homes, hotels, or apartments. The business also had a website displaying profiles of escorts for potential clients.

The investigation into the operation included the use of undercover officers, confidential informants, GPS tracking, and hidden cameras. In one instance, a detective allegedly observed a prostitute and a client having sex through a window. They also reported that they found ledgers documenting the financial transactions of the escort service in the trash.

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The son of “Real Housewives of Miami” star Alexia Echevarria is facing charges after he allegedly physically assaulted his girlfriend. 

29-year-old Peter Rosello is Alexia Echevarria’s oldest son. He has a career in real estate development. 

It is reported that Rosello and his current girlfriend have been dating for approximately three months, and they reside together. 

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A federal investigation of a company in Irvine that offers financial and insurance services has led to charges for three executives of the firm who have allegedly been found to have stolen investments totaling over $4 million from several elderly clients.

50-year-old Mehmet Fatih Biyikoglu is the CEO and founder of Five Star Financial Services, LLC, a financial management and insurance firm in Orange County. 58-year-old Anna Marie Holt serves as the company’s president and chief operating officer, and Ida Shaghoian, 38, was a sales agent who was also once married to Biyikoglu.

The company practices have been under investigation that has led to accusations against Biyikoglu, Holt, and Shaghoian purporting that between 2014 and 2015 they recruited clients, typically elderly people, and assured them that if they invested into certificates of deposit they would earn significant returns. Instead of taking the clients’ money and putting it into a JP Morgan Chase Bank CD account as promised, the suspects have been accused of taking over $4 million in investments and using the cash for personal items such as real estate, jewelry, and expensive automobiles.

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Angel Bronsgeest, a 55 year old woman from Lake Forest, plead guilty on Monday to federal charges of being involved in a real estate scam that cost Southern California investors $3.5 million, according to the United States Attorney’s Office.

Bronsgeest admitted that she, along with Shawn Watkins, a 46 year old man from Utah, would allegedly solicit the victims at Orange County hotel seminars and ask them to invest in their company, The Equity Growth Group. The two claimed that their company managed hundreds of properties, generating income from their rents, which was used to buy new properties. The investors were told they would be getting interest payments and that their money was secured by collateral through filing deeds of property trusts.

“Investor money was not used to acquire new properties, nor was it secured by collateral, and many victims did not receive interest payments. In fact, money that was paid to some victims as purported interest or a return on their investment came from investments made by other victims,” the Attorney’s Office said in a statement.

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