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Ex-realtor imprisoned for $1 million scam

Joseph N. Reilly admitted that he pocketed rent and utility money paid by about 50 clients over two years.

Joseph N. Reilly made his property management services available through Reilly Real Estate, once headquartered on the 1700 block of South Street as seen in this June 2011 image. In 2009, he agreed to sign over the deed of the company headquarters to one property owner to whom he owned money, but continued to operate out of the building. (Via Google Maps)
Joseph N. Reilly made his property management services available through Reilly Real Estate, once headquartered on the 1700 block of South Street as seen in this June 2011 image. In 2009, he agreed to sign over the deed of the company headquarters to one property owner to whom he owned money, but continued to operate out of the building. (Via Google Maps)Read more
    by DANA DiFILIPPO, Daily News Staff Writer <a href="mailto:difilid@phillynews.com">difilid@phillynews.com</a>, 215-854-5934
    Published 

A FORMER real estate agent who admitted he defrauded about 50 clients of more than $1 million will spend the next two years in prison for his crimes.

Joseph N. Reilly, 69, was sentenced yesterday to 26 months in prison for mail fraud for scamming clients between January 2009 and April 2011.

Reilly acted as a property manager for his clients, collecting rent and utility payments for owners and paying utility and tax bills, according to Patty Hartman, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Along the way, he pocketed more than $1 million, Hartman said. To hide his duplicity, he mailed monthly statements to tenants and property owners, including one statement listing the balance in an owner's account as $490,565.58 - when the balance instead was just $86.80, according to the May indictment.

His crimes prompted about two-dozen civil lawsuits against him, according to court records.