Man Accused of Trying to Steal a $5.4M House

A stranger’s mail began arriving at a man’s house. Investigators say someone was trying to claim the $5.4 million Oklahoma City property as an inheritance and borrow against it.

Antonio Moore, 29, was arrested on counterfeiting and forgery complaints after repeated visits to the Oklahoma County Clerk’s Office, according to the sheriff’s account announced October 22. Recording staff questioned his paperwork and refused the proposed ownership change.

The homeowner had already received an unusual warning from his homeowners’ association: someone was trying to enter the gated Gaillardia neighborhood, saying he had inherited the residence. The claim concerned a 14,000-square-foot house that belonged to someone else.

An Inheritance Claim Reached the Front Gate

The homeowner’s first reported encounter with the alleged scheme was through the association, rather than a sale he had negotiated. According to a sheriff’s report cited by PEOPLE, the suspicious activity began in April.

Moore allegedly claimed deceased relatives had left him the mansion. The homeowner subsequently told investigators that mail bearing Moore’s name was reaching the property and that its electric service had been changed into Moore’s name.

Then a bank contacted the owner about an attempt to secure a loan against the house. The sheriff’s account described that proposed borrowing as a central concern, alongside the documents claiming ownership.

Sheriff Tommie Johnson III said he believed obtaining a loan was the ultimate objective. His explanation concerned what investigators believed Moore intended; officials did not announce that a lender had paid out money or that the homeowner had lost lawful title.

Recording Staff Stopped the Paperwork

The sheriff’s office was called to the clerk’s office September 11 over the suspected deed paperwork, PEOPLE reported. KOKH reported that the homeowner also went to the office to raise the possibility of fraud.

The recording department examined the documents, asked additional questions and explained why the property ownership could not be transferred. Moore returned two more times before his arrest, according to KOKH’s account of the investigation.

The clerk’s office had publicly described its intervention in September. Its statement said the documents did not satisfy Oklahoma’s legal requirements and that employees worked to notify the property owner after the person presenting them left.

County Clerk Maressa Treat credited employees for recognizing the problem and protecting the integrity of county land records. Her office also filed a report with the sheriff, bringing the questionable submission to investigators’ attention.

Moore has not been convicted in this case. The reported arrest complaints do not establish that he owned the property or had authority to use it as security for borrowing.

The Warning Signs Extended Beyond a Deed

Oklahoma’s Real Estate Commission identifies unexpected loan and utility notices among possible signs of deed theft. Its notice to homebuyers also lists unauthorized deeds, mortgages or liens appearing in public records and a property owner’s name disappearing from those records.

The commission’s notice describes schemes involving falsified property documents or someone misrepresenting themselves as an owner. It warns that correcting a fraudulent recording can be expensive and time-consuming.

Those warnings concern the broader risk. In the Gaillardia investigation, recording staff said they stopped the improper paperwork rather than accepting it as a valid change of ownership.

A Free Alert Tracks New Filings

Following its intervention, the clerk’s office encouraged residents to use its free property-alert service. The system notifies registered users when a filed document matches their monitored property information.

The county’s explanation describes email, text and automated telephone notifications, with links in electronic alerts to help users review the filing. It also cautions that common names can produce a match unrelated to the subscriber.

An unexpected alert therefore requires checking the document, rather than assuming a crime occurred. The county directs subscribers who receive an unfamiliar recording notice to contact the clerk’s office so the filing can be examined.

References: Man arrested after alleged bid to claim deed to $5.4M Oklahoma City home | Oklahoma County Clerk’s Office blocks improper ownership paperwork | Man Arrested for Allegedly Trying to Steal $5.4 Million Mansion in Oklahoma | Notice to Buyer Signs and Risks of Deed Theft | How the OKCC Property Alert System Works

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