WASHINGTON – A Maryland woman was convicted Thursday of stealing a Prince George’s County home that she did not legally own for the second time.
After a two-day jury trial, Qiana Johnson was found guilty of theft greater than $100,000 and conspiracy to commit theft for using forged documents to steal an Upper Marlboro home that had belonged to a woman who had died, according to the state’s attorney’s office.
The family of the deceased homeowner turned the property over to the bank and believed the $380,000 home had gone into foreclosure. Johnson used a forged deed to sell the property to an investment group for $238,000. The buyer then put the bulk of that sum into an escrow account.
Johnson, and Shamika Staggs, who was also involved in the scheme, both withdrew thousands of dollars from the escrow account.
Staggs has pleaded guilty to forgery and theft charges in the case. Johnson had told Staggs that she had inherited the home from a relative and needed Staggs’ help to reduce her tax obligations.
Johnson is set to be sentenced in June, when she will also be sentenced for another property theft scheme. She was convicted in February on multiple charges for stealing and moving into a vacant Cheltenham home. She sued the owners when they tried to evict her.
