Call Christina: Career criminal falsifies records to own another's home

Squatter forged documents to steal Weston home in criminal ID theft case

WESTON, Fla. – A man described as a “professional squatter” is accused of using forged documents to try and take ownership of a home in Weston.


“This is a criminal ID theft of our victim,” said BSO Detective Christopher Bradley.


The consumer victim in this case is a disabled senior.


Broward Sheriff’s Office says Compton R. Maycock-Beckles Jr. now faces several charges to include grand theft, “Because he obtained this house fraudulently through fraudulent documents, because the house is valued at more than $100,00 he actually gets charged with grand theft of the first degree,” said Detective Bradley.


FORGED DOCUMENTS


“Initially my dad was very terrified,” explained the victim’s daughter Jessica Underhill.

One strange element in this case is that her father didn’t even realize the Weston home Maycock-Beckles Jr. tried to steal was still in his name.

“My father’s property went into foreclosure about 8 years ago. Thinking the bank would own it, they would take care of it and they would have no more ties to it,” explained Underhill.

Flash forward to 2016 when the family receives an unsettling phone call from BSO Detectives, “that there was a squatter on the property and they had been living there for quite some time. We had no idea that the house was still in my father’s name, we had no idea that someone was living there, we had no idea we were still responsibly for that property, and so it came as quite a shock.”
The foreclosure process has now starting back up again, complicated she said, by Maycock-Beckles Jr.’s actions.
“There’s three legal documents that were presented fraudulently to the property appraiser’s office,” said Detective Bradley, “one of the reasons why the bank has had such a hard time getting their property back is because according to official records the property is now owned by somebody else.”

POWER OF ATTORNEY

Underhill said what was most unsettling was what they learned next, “they start showing us documents where he has forged my father’s name, has become his power of attorney. The power of attorney would have given access to my father to this criminal. He could have taken over all of my dad’s affairs, decision making for his health and I would have had no say it in, yeah, very scary.”


GOOD SAMARITANS


“I have a lot of neighbors and we were all very concerned,” said neighbor Janie Orstad, “and then one day I saw him coming out of the house with two water jugs so we realized he had no running water.”

She began digging through property records and got on the phone with the bank, the association, the company he told her he was leasing from, “none of it checked out. They didn't even know he was living there,” said Orstad.

She also called BSO and Detective Christopher Bradley jumped on the case, tracking down fraudulent documents, conducting surveillance, and then arresting Maycock-Beckles Jr.

“Because of the two first degree felony charges we arrested Mr. Maycock-Beckles under he’s looking at a minimum of 10 years in prison,” stated Detective Bradley.

SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING

Detective Bradley tells Local 10 News the partnership with the community on this case was critical. 

Underhill was incredible grateful to both her neighbors and Detective Bradley for working the case.

She said their efforts prevented the suspect from “doing worse damage”, especially in light of the fraudulent attainment of a power of attorney over her father.

“Be aware,” said Underhill, “If your name is attached to a dwelling, a document, a car, make sure you are aware of your property and documents you have signed because criminals are out there.”

“If you see something that sees suspicious follow your instincts,” advised Orstad.

“See something, say something,” responded Local 10 News Investigator Christina Vazquez to which Orstad replied, “exactly”.