A man was indicted on Monday for illegally taking over a home in Jamaica and creating fake leasing documents to present himself as a legitimate tenant. He even went as far as filing a lawsuit against the rightful owner of the property, according to prosecutors.
Lance White-Hunt, a 24-year-old individual, is facing charges of burglary, identity theft, attempted grand larceny, and various other crimes, as announced by Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz.
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District Attorney Katz made it clear that individuals cannot assert ownership rights to a home that they have unlawfully entered. She emphasized that her office will not tolerate the exploitation of the ambiguity surrounding squatters’ rights for personal gain.
In February 2024, a broker from Top Nest Properties listed the home on Lakewood Avenue for rent. The broker, who made regular visits to the site, reported that it remained secure and unoccupied. However, on March 1, the broker discovered that the locks on the front door, which led to the studio unit, had been changed, as stated in the indictment.
According to prosecutors, on March 4, she made the discovery that the locks to the upstairs unit had been changed. She also witnessed White-Hunt’s presence inside the residence.
White-Hunt made the claim that he had been living there since January and provided lease documents to support his claim. However, the broker noticed that her signature had been forged on the documents.
Upon further investigation, it was discovered that the utility bills provided by White-Hunt as evidence of residence were in fact fabricated. Both National Grid and AT&T confirmed that the account numbers she presented did not exist.
On March 14, White-Hunt took legal action against the homeowner’s LLC, the broker, and Top Next Properties, accusing them of an illegal lockout. However, the lawsuit was later dropped when it was discovered that the lease he presented in civil court was forged.
White-Hunt was arrested on May 13 following a thorough investigation.
White-Hunt faced serious charges when he was arraigned on an 18-count indictment. The charges included burglary, criminal possession of a forged instrument, five counts of identity theft, attempted grand larceny, attempted criminal possession of stolen property, offering a false instrument for filing, tampering with physical evidence, three counts of criminal mischief, petit larceny, and two counts of criminal possession of a forged instrument.
If he is found guilty, he could potentially be sentenced to a maximum of 15 years in prison.
