Ten squatters have been removed after illegally taking over a $1million home in Florida, leaving it damaged and infested with bugs.
The ringleader, Tyrone Jones, was also accused of creating fake identity to become an executor of the property in Fort Lauderdale – and has allegedly carried out 14 similar crimes and fraudulently acquired properties worth more than $12 million.
Broward County Sheriff’s Office removed seven men, two women and a child last Tuesday from the stolen home. The locks were changed to stop them returning.
The $1million home on Seabreeze Boulevard had its walls, windows, and flooring completely damaged by the squatters – who allegedly ‘know the system’ and understood how to stay at the home before courts got involved.
It’s assumed they were there for over a year.
The squatters even terrorized neighbors on Seabreeze Boulevard, with one man who lived next door saying that they broke into his home in the middle of the night on February 27, 2022.
The $1million home on Seabreeze Boulevard (pictured) was taken over by 10 squatters. Its walls, windows, and flooring completely damaged, authorities said
The culprits allegedly ‘know the system’ and understood how to stay at the home before courts got involved
Broward County Sheriff’s Office removed seven men, two women and a child last Tuesday from the home. The locks were changed to stop them returning
Tyrone Jones and Kevin Bosley were two of the people squatting in the home. Jones is said to be the ringleader, and he is now behind bars. Bosley was first arrested last year when he was caught inside a neighboring home in the middle of the night. He was escorted out of the stolen home this week
He told CBS Miami: ‘My wife screaming, someone’s in our room, and my dog barking and chasing him out. This person in our bedroom, he was at the foot of our bed. He had stepped into the room.’
The neighbor said he’s had a ‘number’ of sleepless nights since living next to the squatters.
At the time, police arrested Kevin Bosley but he was released and made to wear an ankle monitor – but they didn’t realize he was living in the stolen home next door.
He was seen being escorted out of the stolen home last week, still with his monitor around his ankle.
Speaking about the home, Mike Fisten, an investigator for the Broward Property Appraiser’s office Crimes Against Property team, told CBS Miami: ‘It’s bug infested. The walls are damaged.
‘The flooring is damaged. The windows are damaged. The whole area is totally damaged.’
Marty Kiar, Broward County Property Appraiser, said about the ringleader Jones: ‘He actually had rented it out to other people that didn’t own the property.
‘When an individual steals a home, not only is the property owner a victim, but the community can be victimized as well.
Pictured: Mike Fisten, an investigator for the Broward Property Appraiser’s office Crimes Against Property team
The inside of the home in Fort Lauderdale where the 10 people had been squatting
‘In this situation, one of the individuals in the home was arrested for breaking and entering into a nearby home.
‘The owner of the nearby home reached out to our office. I am glad that the property has now been returned to the property owner.
‘I want to thank the Fort Lauderdale Police Department and the Broward Sheriff’s Office as they have been incredible partners in helping us protect our wonderful Broward community.
He said that within the last year, his team has investigated nearly 200 squatting incidents: ‘We only started about a year ago, we’ve had about 185 cases, and every case is a little bit different. And in every case, what we do evolves a little bit.
‘Our underlying goal at the end of the day is just to help protect the community and to hold people accountable.’
This comes after a public school teacher and her family were evicted from a home in Houston that they squatted in using a fake lease.
Amberlyn Prather, who is a fourth-grade teacher at a Houston public school, remained silent as she was confronted by ABC13 outside eviction court after a judge ordered the family to leave the house by the end of the month.
Prather, who arrived at the property in January while it was vacant and listed for sale, still managed to drag her heels and remain for a few weeks longer.
But she has now finally been evicted.
Realtor Shanequa Garrett, who is authorized to sell the house, had not been inside in months because of the squatters and had been fighting for months to remove them.
But on June 15, the teacher and her family left the house, which allowed Garrett to go inside and finally figure out how the family broke into the home.
