Police in DeKalb County say a man tried to snatch a Decatur family’s home out from under them by using a fake name and a forged deed to move the property into someone else’s hands.
The case centers on a house on the 3200 block of Columbia Woods Drive, where county records show a deed recorded in January 2024 transferred the title to an alias. That filing has now become Exhibit A in an alleged deed-theft scheme and has put fresh focus on how easy it once was to record property transfers in Georgia before new identification and e-filing rules kicked in.
Investigators identified the suspect as Castor Tyrone Winfrey. He is charged with first-degree forgery and related counts for allegedly creating and filing false documents. According to authorities, Winfrey used the alias Ayomide-Aberash Bey, and a deed recorded on Jan. 24, 2024 appears to show the late Katie Williams signing over the title for zero dollars, even though Williams’ death certificate lists her date of death as February 2017.
Detectives say they traced the transaction to a company called Equity & Financial Justice L.L.L.P., and a second man has also been charged in connection with the case, according to Atlanta News First.
Family says their home was taken
For the family that has long called the house theirs, the alleged fraud is personal.
Marva Reyes says the Columbia Woods Drive property is part of her parents’ legacy and that she had no idea anything had been filed on the home until county code enforcement showed up and discovered someone living inside.
“I don’t see how you can just present a deed to the courthouse and say, now I own it for zero dollars,” Reyes told investigators when the case first drew attention.
That earlier complaint and the inspection that uncovered an alleged squatter were documented by Atlanta News First Investigates.
New state rules aim to stop title theft
Cases like this helped push Georgia lawmakers to tighten up how deeds get recorded.
Following a wave of headline-grabbing disputes, legislators approved measures that require identity verification for many deed filings and add disclosure requirements for solicitations that target older homeowners. Portions of that legislation took effect in 2024, with identity-verification and e-filing provisions rolling out in 2025, according to reporting by WSB-TV.
Officials say the changes are designed to make it far more difficult for someone to quietly walk into a clerk’s office, drop off a sketchy deed, and walk out claiming to own a house.
How homeowners can watch their title
The Georgia Superior Court Clerks’ Cooperative Authority now runs a Filing Activity Notification System, known as FANS, that allows property owners to sign up for alerts any time documents are filed under their name or against a specific parcel.
GSCCCA and county clerks also maintain the statewide e-file portal that, under the newer rules, requires identity verification for self-filers. Together, the portal and FANS are meant to give homeowners a faster heads up if something unusual hits their title.
Property owners who are nervous about title fraud can register for FANS and routinely check county property records to spot any unexpected filings as quickly as possible, per the GSCCCA documents.
Legal implications
Warrants available online list the charges tied to the Columbia Woods case and note that the suspect identifies with sovereign-citizen beliefs, which authorities say can complicate court proceedings.
The documents posted on Scribd include the arrest paperwork and form the backbone of the criminal case that will move through DeKalb County court. If convicted, those charged face felony penalties under Georgia law.
Investigators say the probe is still active and more records are being examined as part of the wider review of the transaction.
In the meantime, DeKalb homeowners worried about someone trying to steal their house on paper are being urged to sign up for electronic alerts, keep copies of their property records, and consult a title or real-estate attorney if any surprise documents appear on their home. The courts will sort out the criminal charges in the coming weeks while detectives continue to follow the trail left by the recorded deed.
