Woman accused of bilking home buyers
By Noah Haglund
They paid thousands of dollars in hopes of buying seized property from the U.S. government on the cheap.
They forked over the money and waited. Their calls went unanswered.
Barbara C. Bennett is charged with two counts of obtaining signatures or property by false pretenses.
Barbara C. Bennett, a 53-year-old Charleston resident at the center of several complaints, claimed to be able to negotiate reduced rates through her position with the government. In one case under investigation by the Charleston County Sheriff's Office, a man claims to have lost more than $100,000.
"She has presented herself as an agent for the Grant Pacing Program," sheriff's Detective Kip Cooke said. "She obtained money for the properties, in some cases, she gave them receipts."
No such program exists. On Monday, the Charleston County Sheriff's Office charged Bennett with two counts of obtaining signature or property by false pretenses. She has since left the county jail on $5,000 bail.
Cooke received the first complaint in late July. A Johns Island man told him he gave Bennett $8,900 over the course of several months, an incident report says. She showed him a plaque from the agency with her name on it and achievement certificates from the program. He also said she gave him addresses and prices for the properties.
Their interaction began in the fall of 2007. But after several months, he began to question the status of the purchases, the report says. At that point, he told deputies, she stopped returning his calls for days at a time.
Soon, he began to meet other people with similar experiences.
A West Ashley man told the Sheriff's Office he gave Bennett $103,000 to buy several properties, an investigator's affidavit states. He grew suspicious after waiting weeks for titles to the properties and learning of other complaints about Bennett.
To report similar problems, call the Sheriff's Office at 202-1700.
Reach Noah Haglund at 937-5550 or nhaglund@postandcourier.com.
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scbiker1 (anonymous) says...
$5,000 bail seems a little low considering she is accused of scamming over $100,000.
November 19, 2008 at 1:10 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
islandbenzbc (anonymous) says...
She should be held without bail until the money has been recovered or she dies...what a scumbag con artist!
November 19, 2008 at 6:28 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
moonpie (anonymous) says...
Wow stupid people!
November 19, 2008 at 6:35 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
sig (anonymous) says...
Agree moonpie. How stupid can you get, but I also agree with the others. $5000 bail? She will be walking the streets and they will never find her again.
November 19, 2008 at 7 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
theronce (anonymous) says...
It's a little comforting to see that I am not the only dummy sometimes in the world.
November 19, 2008 at 7:17 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
B_Fwank (anonymous) says...
She doesnt look like an evil conservative, bush supporter...
just saying.
November 19, 2008 at 7:35 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ms_lady2u (anonymous) says...
what some people do....for the love of money!*head nodding*
November 19, 2008 at 7:53 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
charleston1960 (anonymous) says...
Yes Virginia, idiots do exist!
If she would have just held off ripping people off until Jan 20, she could have gotten their money legally - under the future redistribution plan!
JI
Poetic justice? - No - Poetic Justice would be that the courts sold her house to pay the people back.
November 19, 2008 at 8:08 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
give_it_a_rest (anonymous) says...
Her bond is way to low for the amount of money she has taken.
November 19, 2008 at 8:11 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
B_Fwank (anonymous) says...
JimIslander - is that you JohnQ2/spankurbuns?
November 19, 2008 at 8:28 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
theronce (anonymous) says...
JimI, I'm offended now. You did not include yourself in that illustrious group.
November 19, 2008 at 8:39 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
grannyofseven_2 (anonymous) says...
There is one born everyday.
November 19, 2008 at 8:44 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ColdBud (anonymous) says...
Posted by B_Fwank on November 19, 2008 at 8:28 a.m.:
JimIslander - is that you JohnQ2/spankurbuns?
Yes B_Fwank, you got it... what took you so long? Post people don't read any posts starting with "JimIslander"...
November 19, 2008 at 9:55 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
RTC (anonymous) says...
JimIslander IS JohnQ, johnq2, and spankerbuns. Just read all of his posts. They are identical.
Why some people find it necessary to keep changing usernames is beyond me.
This lady should be ashamed of herself. Then again, if she had any conscience she wouldn't have done this.
The people who gave her money were foolish. They should have made some calls to see if this "agency" even existed.
November 19, 2008 at 9:55 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
B_Fwank (anonymous) says...
Copy that CB!
November 19, 2008 at 9:57 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Confuzzled (anonymous) says...
I realize mugshots do not always do a person justice but if this woman looks anything like her mugshot, she certainly lacks that professional appearance that I would look for.
I agree 100% that her bail of $5G is waaaaaaay too small. She obviously bilked thousands of dollars out of people and deserves to be locked up and severely punished for stealing these folks hard earned dollars.
November 19, 2008 at 10:10 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Confuzzled (anonymous) says...
johnnyholmes....LOL....*karma* .... we were thinking the very same about her mugshot. Kinda eerie, isn't it ?
November 19, 2008 at 10:13 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
grannyofseven_2 (anonymous) says...
Good Morning all!
It is unfortunate that so many people get greedy like this. I am sorry they lost their money but people need to check before the let go of large or small sums of money.
I for one cannot afford to lose one penny at this time.
I am glad she was caught.
November 19, 2008 at 10:15 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ms_lady2u (anonymous) says...
Confuzzeld )It is a mugshot....you know after removal of haripeices,jewerly & make-up!
November 19, 2008 at 10:23 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
oldandintheway (anonymous) says...
she had a plaque with her name on it and everything...
November 19, 2008 at 10:35 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ms_lady2u (anonymous) says...
I heard that she graduated from The Pasish Institution with honors!
November 19, 2008 at 11:04 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
bigwhip (anonymous) says...
Greed causes more scams than someone's scheming. Poorly written article at best.....where did she work, live, did she have a job, an office? Come on Noah, you can do better than this.
November 19, 2008 at 11:14 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
islandbenzbc (anonymous) says...
JimIslander: Why don't you take Ms. Bennett in and reform her in the liberal way of doing things? I agree with the poster who said she just should have waited until January 20th and she could have participated in the government sponsored redistribution of wealth...How is it that she gets a bond of $5000 when the boys at CSU got bonds of $200,000 to $400,000 for stealing $30? Go figure...
November 19, 2008 at 11:49 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Girleygirl (anonymous) says...
How much do you all want to bet she is going to skip out of town.....$5000 bail and if more claims come through that means that woman stole over 1/4 of a million dollars......
November 19, 2008 at 3:16 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
SCSIGirl2 (anonymous) says...
One born every minute and two to take their money. If it sounds too good to be true - it probably is! Doesn't anyone ever follow-up with the Better Business Bureau anymore?
November 19, 2008 at 5:51 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
1963 (anonymous) says...
Looks like she will be wearing size large prison clothes. Probably printed her "official" papers on a computer and then the suckers started falling. She probably will get out on bail and haul tail to New York. Anyone stealing $100,000 or over should have $1,000,000 CASH bond.
November 19, 2008 at 9:17 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
umakebrains (anonymous) says...
oops, this is the same woman suspected of boosting money from a local high school booster club. OMG !!!
November 19, 2008 at 9:50 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
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