Written ByStaff Writer
POCOMOKE CITY -- Soon after a Baltimore man moved to town, police say he began duping people into paying him rent to live in buildings he didn't own.In addition, prostitution, forgery, making a false statement to a police officer and theft are charges the suspect, Robert Austera, also faces.
Austera, 57, of the 500 block of Moore Street in Pocomoke City, was charged after witnesses told police that Austera allegedly promised them places to live and took rent money from them for properties, a police investigation determined, that weren't his to rent.
After James Motyka was charged with breaking into a building in the 420 block of Oxford Street, he showed police a rent receipt from Austera for $250, according to court documents. Motyka told police he had paid Austera that money as a down payment to move into a home on the 420 block of Oxford Street.
The men made an arrangement that Motyka could fix up other houses -- which Motyka believed Austera managed -- in exchange for his first two months' rent. Pocomoke City police say they intend to have the burglary charges against Motyka dropped.
Kacee Briddelle was also allegedly defrauded by Austera, according to court documents. Briddelle told police she paid Austera $700 to move into one of the properties he allegedly claimed he managed.
"Briddelle advised she found Austera's number and an ad offering to find affordable apartments for rent in Pocomoke City on Craigslist," police said.After not being able to get hold of Austera for two weeks, Briddelle persuaded him to return $300 of her $700. Austera told her he could no longer help her find a place to live, according to court documents. He is alleged to still have $400 of Briddelle's money.
Efrem Phillips, who is reported by court documents to be the owner of the house Austera was allegedly renting out, told police he had never given Austera permission to create a lease or to write Phillips' signature on it.
In a separate incident, Austera is charged with prostitution, along with Kimberly Reeder, 44, of the 32000 block of Overholt Road in Pocomoke City. In March, Austera allegedly mentioned to one of his roommates that he sometimes paid to have sex with Reeder, according to court documents, and offered to introduce her to him. She allegedly offered the roommate sex for pay, but the roommate declined, according to court documents.
During the investigation, police learned Austera's 17-year-old daughter was living in his house along with a registered sex offender, Dale Kirk Audet. Audet, 38, was listed as living on the 500 block of Moore Street, according to the Maryland sex offender registry. On May 3, shortly after Austera's arrest, his registered address changed to the 210 block of Laurel Street. Audet has been convicted of third-degree sex offense, indecent exposure and violating his probation, according to Maryland case search. Austera's daughter was removed from the home by Worcester County Social Services for her safety, according to police.
Source; http://www.delmarvanow.com/article/20110506/NEWS01/105060301/Man-poses-landlord-collects-rent-police-say?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|frontpage
9 comments:
This guy is a real piece of work. Perfect example of that old adage, "Truth is stranger than fiction."
"On May 3, shortly after Austera's arrest, his registered address changed to the 210 block of Laurel Street."
well the police need to look into this also because he does NOT live at 210 Laurel that's an empty house
PPE, call the sheriff's department. there's been a sheriff's deputy going around checking up on these sexual offenders. He was around a few weeks ago. I don't remember his name. I don't know if this is a new thing Sheriff Mason has started but I think it is because we've have these sexual offenders before in the neighborhood and never before has a deputy been around.
Does Pocomoke have a way to register landlords or renters?
Perhaps they should consider it.
At least a registry.
Pocomoke would make more money by registering hookers.
Probably drug dealers, too, but let's not go there.
Salisbury introduced a registry that landlords had to pay a small registry fee and that helps to at least know who is going around doing this kind of thing and who is suppose to be 'managing' the properties. Not really a bad idea.
or atleast require landlords to obtain a rental license issued by the city. Alot of municipalities have this.
Pocomoke doesn't want this because most of the slum lords are the good ole boys. It would put a hurtin on their business.
You're right most other towns do this as a way to generate extra revenue and also it registers the names of the occupants to the FD or PD if there is ever an emergency. This was one of the things that the Burke woman wanted to do if she had been elected. It makes sense and would keep our town a lot better lookin cause Harvey would have to actually issue an occupancy permit before a tenant could move in.
I've never heard that the names of the tenants needing to be registered only that the landlords pay a yearly fee (usually under $100) and obtain a rental license. I think it's done to keep track of nuisance properties which tend to be rentals.
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