GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. A man who claimed to be a landlord and scammed people out of thousands of dollars in Grand Rapids will spend a year in jail and repay his victims.
In December 2017 four people contacted 13 On Your Side for help related to this case.
It was just before Christmas and the prospective tenants were anxious to get into their new home.
They all responded to a Craigslist ad for an apartment on Davis Avenue for $550 a month. Each of them of them paid a down payment and first month’s rent of just over $1,100. They say the landlord went by the name “Michael Hite.”
13 On Your Side discovered Hite was actually in jail and couldn't be the person trying to rent the apartment to the victims. The person’s real name is Robert Leonard Tyler, who was staying at Hite's apartment.
Shortly after our story aired, Tyler was charged with four counts of false pretenses for forging a name and defrauding the victims out of their money.
The Kent County Prosecutor’s office offered Tyler a plea deal and he to pleaded guilty to one count of False Pretenses.
The victims say they would’ve liked more, but are glad he's been caught.
Tyler was sentenced to one year in jail and 5 years probation. The victims will get to split the $5,200 dollars Tyler was ordered to pay in restitution.
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