United States Attorney David Metcalf announced the sentencing of Macangelo Tillman, a Philadelphia resident, to six years in prison. Tillman was found guilty of orchestrating a scheme to fraudulently obtain titles to properties slated for future sheriff's sales in Philadelphia. Alongside his prison sentence, Tillman will serve three years of supervised release and pay over $150,000 in restitution.
In December 2023, Tillman faced charges on five counts of wire fraud related to the scheme and entered a guilty plea this past March. According to court documents, he prepared deeds that falsely transferred property ownership to himself or associates. These deeds were then recorded with the City of Philadelphia.
Tillman's actions included obtaining notary stamps through false statements or using fake stamps. He paid one notary public $50 for illegitimate notarization without verifying grantors' identities and persuaded another notary as a favor. Counterfeit deeds were also presented as legitimate by Tillman or his associates.
The fraudulent activities affected the City of Philadelphia and 11 homeowners or their heirs. The city lost revenue from sheriff's sales and taxes from properties owned by deceased individuals or financially distressed owners. Any excess funds from these sales would have benefited the original homeowners or their heirs.
Motivated by financial gain for himself and his associates, some stolen homes were rented out while others were sold unknowingly to buyers who believed they were purchasing legitimate properties.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and the Philadelphia Office of the Inspector General, with prosecution led by Assistant United States Attorney Anita Eve.
