A Berkeley man, James L. Townes Jr., stood in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on Thursday, entering a plea of not guilty in response to allegations of a grand scheme to fraudulently obtain numerous properties. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Missouri, the original charge stems from June 10, with subsequent indictments detailing a conspiracy to use bogus deeds to illegitimately transfer ownership of 16 homes and a duplex.
The case, complicated by an array of fraudulent activities, saw Townes facing multiple charges, including mail fraud, access device fraud, unlawful production of an authentication feature, identity theft, and aggravated identity theft. In an August 6 superseding indictment, the counts totaled to 25—a staggering number that paints a picture of a calculated and extensive operation. Townes, alongside accomplice Charnay Bartlett, is accused of having stolen identities and notarized documents to facilitate this property theft, a process they continued even after Townes's notary license was suspended.
Bartlett herself is not left unscathed by the allegations, with charges against her including conspiracy and four counts each of unlawful production of an authentication feature, and identity theft. Meanwhile, Townes faced a separate indictment for reportedly faking disability status and receiving government funds under false pretenses, all while managing multiple LLCs and maintaining various roles in investment and real estate. This stark contrast between his claimed incapacity and his apparent business savvy and mobility is at the heart of this second indictment.
Every defendant in the American legal system carries the presumption of innocence until proven guilty, and this case is no exception. The Department of Housing and Urban Development's Office of Inspector General, with aid from the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, the St. Louis County Police Department, and the Hazelwood Police Department collaborated on this investigation. Their findings prompted the indictments, though, they stand as allegations requiring due process and the right to trial.
