Florida squatter's $700k condo heist lands him 40 years behind bars

A man who used phony legal documents to take possession of a $700,000 Panama City Beach condo in Florida was sentenced to 40-years in prison this week.

The fraudulent takeover occurred in late 2022 when Olandis Dean Hobbs (also known as "Genesis Bey") 37, filed fake paperwork with the Bay County Clerk of Circuit Court. The condo was legally owned by an 85-year-old woman and her children. After claiming ownership, Hobbs changed the locks and notified condo management of the supposed change in ownership.

The legal owners, who live out of state, were alerted to the situation by a maid. Hobbs was arrested in January 2023, when the Panama City Beach Police Department served a search warrant.

According to the release, the jurors needed only 35 minutes to find Hobbs guilty.

The sentence includes 25 years for fraudulent use of personal identification information and 15 years for grand theft over $100,000. Hobbs will also face 30 years of probation after serving his prison sentence. Evidence showed that Olandis Hobbs, 37, had committed similar acts in other places, including New York, but had previously only been sued, not arrested.

Judge Dustin Stephenson, who presided over the case, noted that while this might be Hobbs' first significant conviction, it was a serious one. "This might be your first significant conviction, but it is a doozy," Judge Stephenson said "You stole rest from the sunset of someone's life and should be punished for it."

"Even though the defendant has been in custody since his arrest, he remained the listed owner of the property pending civil litigation and the outcome of the criminal case," according to the releases. "Prosecutor Josh James said the victims had to continue to pay the monthly HOA fees to keep the unit safe, as well as the property taxes."

Previously:
Unwanted guest claims squatter's rights in children's backyard treehouse (video)