A trio of individuals in Arizona has been apprehended and charged in connection with a fraudulent scheme involving renting out a deceased person's house, stealing their cars, and illegally selling some of them.
Arizona authorities have made arrests in a case involving a complex scheme to unlawfully rent out a deceased person's residence and sell two of their vehicles. During the arrests, one of the suspects was discovered in possession of stolen belongings belonging to another deceased individual.
The Mohave County Sheriff's Office conducted a month-long investigation into reports of squatters occupying a property belonging to a deceased person in the Pebble Lake area. The investigation revealed that Kevin Andrew Strawbridge, 38, and Jami Demaria, 30, were responsible for unlawfully renting out the home.
Investigators also determined that Strawbridge and Demaria stole three vehicles from the deceased and sold two of them. Cheyenne Keller, 29, is accused of notarizing Strawbridge and Demaria's signatures on the vehicle titles.
Adding to the complexity of the case, Keller is also implicated in a separate criminal matter involving the burglary of a man's house and the theft of his car while he was deployed overseas.
During the execution of search warrants on May 10, deputies recovered two stolen vehicles, one unreported stolen vehicle, items reported stolen by other victims, drugs, drug paraphernalia, and two firearms.
Strawbridge, Demaria, and Keller were each charged with conspiracy and fraudulent schemes. Strawbridge faces additional charges of burglary, possession of stolen property, and three separate counts of theft of means of transportation. He is also linked to the burglary of another deceased person in the vicinity.
Demari faces charges of burglary and trafficking of stolen property. Keller and Wolf, apprehended during one of the search warrant executions, face drug possession and firearms possession charges.
The investigation is ongoing, and the Mohave County Sheriff's Office did not respond to requests for comment at the time of publication.
The trio's actions have sparked outrage in the community, as the victims were vulnerable individuals who lost their homes and loved ones. The arrests and charges serve as a warning that such fraudulent schemes will not be tolerated and that those involved will be held accountable.
