PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A notary public from Germantown has been charged in a wide-ranging house theft scheme.
Officials have alleged Gwendolyn Schell, 67, and several co-conspirators fraudulently transferred the ownership of more than 20 properties through forgery and other means.
The investigation into Schell began in January 2018, after authorities found anomalies in several deeds connected to her work as a notary. The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office said in the majority of cases, Schell notarized documents claiming an owner approved a transfer, when in fact that owner was dead.
Assistant District Attorney Kim Esack, who supervises the Economic Crimes Division, called the case quite unusual. “Most of the time the notaries are the ones telling us that their stamp and their signature is being forged and has been stolen. This was actually a notary who was facilitating the conspiracy in order to steal houses,” Esack said.
According to authorities, Schell stole 21 properties across the city, most of them in North Philadelphia. They said most of the fraudulent deeds involved backdating documents to when owners were alive, forging signatures of the deceased, falsely indicating Schell witnessed the signature and listing phony price considerations to bypass fair taxation.
“Houses are important. They are a basis for stabilizing a community and keeping it stable, for generational wealth accumulating over time,” said District Attorney Larry Krasner.
“It has been a priority of the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office to protect home ownership, protect our seniors, protect people who don’t have all the resources in the world, from fraudsters, grifters [and] thieves.”
Schell faces more than 30 counts each of eight different charges, including conspiracy, theft, and forgery.