Youngstown Man Faces $1M Fraud Charges Over Distressed Homes

STEVEN M. DETTELBACH and STEPHEN D. ANTHONY have announced a stunning 59-count indictment against ONDREA SHABAZZ, 47, of Youngstown, Ohio. The charges stem from an elaborate scheme where Shabazz is accused of defrauding property owners and unsuspecting third parties out of over $1 million by obtaining ownership of distressed homes and reselling them.

According to the federal grand jury’s findings, Shabazz and his associates at REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT CONNECTION, LLC, identified and targeted distressed properties in Mahoning County. They then forged signatures on quit claim deeds, falsely transferring ownership to themselves. The fraudulent deeds were filed with county offices, and Shabazz resold the properties under false pretenses.

United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, Steven M. Dettelbach, described the defendant’s actions as exploiting blight in Youngstown neighborhoods. “This defendant took advantage of the distress to enrich himself,” Dettelbach said.

Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Cleveland office, Stephen D. Anthony, echoed the sentiment, stating that Shabazz decided “greed beat out any sense of decency” by forging signatures on properties set for demolition.

The indictment details how Shabazz used mail fraud to execute his scheme, with 29 fraudulent quit claim deeds delivered through the United States Postal Service. Counts 1-29 charge Shabazz with the initial stages of the fraud, while counts 30-59 involve the possession and use of the forged documents.

Shabazz faces multiple counts of real estate fraud, identity fraud, and mail fraud. The case is a stark reminder of the impact of white-collar crime on local communities.