Two real estate investors arrested this week are being accused of scamming an elderly victim who suffers from dementia into signing a “quit claim deed,” before selling his home and pocketing nearly $100,000, none of which went to the victim.
On Tuesday, March 7, Lake County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested 42-year-old Emmanuel Damier of Ocoee and 29-year-old Lyns Dayoute of Lake County on charges of grand theft and scheming to defraud and exploit an elderly person.
According to law enforcement authorities, the family of an elderly victim contacted the Clermont Police Department in November 2022 after one of the family members saw the victim’s house pending for sale on Zillow. The family member was alarmed by the sale, as the victim had been recently diagnosed with dementia.
Over the next several months, detectives gathered witness testimony, medical records, bank statements, emails, and legal documents to determine what happened to the victim.
During their investigation, police determined that Dayoute and Damier approached the victim and persuaded him to sign a “quit claim deed,” essentially giving away his house to them for free.
Since the home was in foreclosure, Dayoute and Damier promised to assist the victim. Instead, police say the men sold the house for $300,000 and pocketed a profit of almost $100,000. None of the profit was distributed to the victim.
The victim was unable to understand what was happening due to his dementia and did not comprehend that he was giving away his home, according to police.
Dayoute and Damier are owners of Mc’Ckol Credit Services and Lensz Investments, two investment firms that purport to create wealth through real estate purchases for their clients.
The pair was arrested on Tuesday, March 7, just before 8 p.m. and released on bond on Wednesday, March 8, just before 3:30 a.m.
Police say the victim and his family have been provided with information on how they may recoup their funds at a later date with the assistance of the Clermont Police Department and State Attorney’s Office.
If you or someone you know has been or is the victim of foreclosure fraud due to services provided by Mc’Ckol Credit Services or Lensz Investments, contact your local police department.