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Dayton area man, woman indicted on quitclaim deed fraud charges
A Dayton-area man and woman linked to the limited liability corporation Love Has Homes were indicted on multiple charges related to three instances of alleged quitclaim deed fraud.
• Who are they? Diamond DeShawn Washington, 38, and Rosalyn Monique Johnson, 39.
• What are the charges? The two face charges of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, forgery, tampering with government records, grand theft and telecommunications fraud.
• What are quitclaim deeds? Deeds are documents that show ownership. Quitclaim deeds transfer property from one entity to another without a sale taking place. Quitclaim deeds are typically used by relatives or spouses to transfer property.
• How were they used in this case? Washington and Johnson allegedly used quitclaim deeds to fraudulently transfer three properties — one in Dayton, one in Centerville and one in Huber Heights — to Love Has Homes LLC, forging the signatures of the homeowners.
• What led investigators to them? The defendants allegedly offered the properties far below market value. One property, valued at $133,900, sold for $35,000 to an unsuspecting buyer. This transfer generated an alert to the homeowner, who was signed up for the county’s Fraud Alert Notification System (FANS).
• How to avoid this scam: Potential homebuyers should perform title searches on properties before completing a sale. Property owners who suspect that they’ve fallen victim to quitclaim deed fraud should contact the Montgomery County Prosecutor’s consumer fraud unit and the recorder’s office.
Dayton, FOP police union reach deal after pay fight
The city of Dayton and the police union have reached a deal to end a dispute over officers’ pay structure that was part of a new collective bargaining agreement.
• What is in the new contract? The new contract eliminated some of the lower pay steps so that newer officers would make higher pay from the start and they would graduate to higher pay levels more quickly.
• The dispute: Each side had “fundamentally different” interpretations of the meaning and application of the new pay steps. The FOP filed grievances after its members were paid for the wrong steps in the pay schedule.
• What the city said: “While the city maintains that the tentative agreement was not intended to be interpreted this way, the city also recognizes the value of retaining our officers and the importance of preserving a positive relationship between the city and the FOP.”
• What the FOP said: “We’re thankful that city management came to the table and understood the importance of fixing this, of doing it the right way,” Dayton FOP President Kyle Thomas said.
What to know today
• One big takeaway: All of West Dayton could become a Community Reinvestment Area where new construction and renovation projects can qualify for significant property tax abatements, according to a pending city proposal.
• Tip of the day: The Greater Dayton Regional Transit is offering free rides on Monday for Columbus Day.
• Big move of the day: The Dayton Foodbank recently started construction on a new community resource building, which will support its work toward food security and health equity.
• Person to know today: Tammy Gendrau. The Fairborn Intermediate principal faced her fears by skydiving to recognize the amount of money that her students raised for the school PTO.
• Dayton history: More than 100 years ago, the Dayton region was captivated by stories of the Dayton Strangler.
• Happening today: The Yellow Springs Street Fair is back, featuring local art, unique finds, live music and food.
• Daycations: The Circleville Pumpkin Show attracts more than 400,000 each year.
• Community Gem: Mandy Adkins. This community outreach specialist for Emerge Recovery and Trade Initiative works with individuals who are seeking recovery, the homeless, those re-entering the community after incarceration and so many others.
• Things to do: 10 things to do this weekend in the Dayton region.
• Photo of the day: Photographer Nick Graham got some great shots of the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, which were visible from Ohio Thursday night. See more here.
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham