Philly man stole 14 houses, DA says
Larry Krasner said Tyree Burno stole the homes, and two lots, through deed fraud.
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A Philadelphia man stole 14 homes in the city, forging names and documents to take property from others, prosecutors said Monday.
Tyree Burno, 42, swindled property owners out of homes in West Oak Lane, Logan, Frankford, Cedarbrook, and Mount Airy, and was charged with theft, theft by deception, identity theft, forgery, tampering with public records and related crimes.
Stealing houses is a “mini epidemic” in the city District Attorney Larry Krasner said..
“This is the type of crime that exists in a vacuum of information, a vacuum of safeguards,” he said. “This is the type of crime that we should be able to shut down in Philadelphia.”
Imam Idris Abdul Zahir, resident Imam of Masjidullah, an Islamic community center at 7401 Limekiln Pike, where Krasner announced the arrest praised the collaborative work between the DA’s Office and other city agencies in tracking down Burno.
“This is a demonstration of how community can work together to protect the most vulnerable among us. Because these criminals target the most vulnerable,” he said, “the folks that are our elderly, our sick, our uneducated, our poor, and take from them one of the most valuable things that a human being can acquire which is their home.”
Dawn Holtz, supervisor of the District Attorney’s Economic Crimes Unit, said the investigation began in March of 2019 when a 71-year-old woman called to complain that her property had been illegally transferred to Burno.
By then, the Philadelphia Police Department and the Philadelphia Department of Records were already investigating Burno, Holtz said. The Pennsylvania Department of Treasury was also investigating him for writing bad checks, she said.
In addition to the 14 properties that he is charged with stealing, Burno is accused of writing four bad checks and stealing two lots in some cases using fake names, stolen identities, and LLCs, Holtz said.
To report deed fraud or other types of economic crime, contact the District Attorney’s Office at 215—686—9902 or FraudComplaint@phila.gov.