Posing as a millionaire, man steals Indy house for girlfriend, police say
Gregory D. Harris let his girlfriend know that when it came to her happiness, money was no object.
That new house she wanted? He surprised her by buying it and having her move her belongings in.
A BMW SUV? No problem. He drove up in one and told her it was hers.
The only problem, according to court documents, is that he didn’t really own the home, and the BMW was stolen.
Harris, 48, has been charged in Marion County with burglary and theft in connection with a series of incidents in mid-April, centered on his attempt to purchase a $147,000 home on Indianapolis' southeast side.
Court documents said Harris made an offer in early April to purchase the home, which was being sold through New York-based CastleRock REO.
Harris was then informed that other bidders who made higher offers were still being considered.
But on April 7, when a local Realtor went to show the home, she noticed that the “For Sale” sign was gone and the locks had been changed, court documents said. The locks were replaced and a new sign was placed on the property.
Three days later, another local Realtor who went to the home to do a showing encountered the same thing. The locks had been changed, and there was no “For Sale” sign.
CastleRock REO officials were then notified that the door knobs had been replaced, and someone had moved furniture into the home, court documents said.
A CastleRock representative told IndyStar on Thursday that neighbors told the company that a moving truck was at the property, and that people were moving in belongings all day long.
The representative also said that Harris had the lights, water and Internet service turned on at the home in his name.
On April 11, Harris began having a text conversation with a CastleRock REO representative who was handling the property. In the texts, Harris stated that he changed the locks and removed the “For Sale” signs.
He also said that he was under the impression that he now owned the home because he made an offer.
Court documents said that Harris then began emailing and faxing falsified documents to CastleRock to prove that he owned the property. The documents included a quitclaim deed, a purchase and sale agreement and a proof of insurance. Harris claimed that the documents were provided to him by CastleRock REO.
When told that he was going about the sale the wrong way, Harris responded by saying that he was moving in and sent CastleRock officials a picture of his BMW SUV parked in the driveway of the home, as well as selfies of himself. CastleRock then contacted police.
On April 15, officers from the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department were called to the home on a report of someone trespassing. Police met up with Harris and his girlfriend there.
Harris again admitted to changing the locks and moving in, court documents said. When asked about being told to leave the premises by CastleRock, Harris told police, “This means nothing to me.”
Harris’ girlfriend told investigators that they had been dating since January. She said Harris told her he was a millionaire who bought her the BMW that was parked outside.
A check of the vehicle revealed that it had been stolen from Carmel, court documents said. Inside the vehicle, Harris had a laptop, two flash drives, documents in a black bag and the book “TrumpNation: The Art of Being The Donald.”
Harris’ girlfriend went on to say that she found the home online and told Harris that she liked it. A short time later, he told her that he had bought the home and that she could start moving in. The day of the trespassing call was the day that she moved in the last of her things, court documents said.
Harris was read his rights and taken into custody at the scene. He remains in the Marion County Jail without bond.
CastleRock REO representatives told IndyStar that although they have had to deal with squatters in the past, they have never encountered anything like the situation with Harris, who they said seemed to feel justified in his actions. They would not comment on the investigation further.
Attempts to reach Harris’ attorney for comment Thursday were unsuccessful.
Call IndyStar reporter Justin L. Mack at (317) 444-6138. Follow him on Twitter: @justinlmack.