ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — James Townes Jr., 48, of the 11200 block of Cadigan Lane in St. Louis, was charged Wednesday with multiple counts of stealing, possession of forging instruments, and impersonating a notary public in connection with a scheme involving fraudulent property transfers, according to the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
Townes faces four counts each of stealing $25,000 or more, possession of a forging instrument, and acting as or impersonating a notary. He is being held on a $100,000 cash-only bond without the option of a 10% bond. A booking photo was not available.
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The charges stem from an investigation that began after a burglary call on Dec. 13, 2024, in the 6700 block of Silver Fox. During the investigation, officers discovered that Townes had filed false quitclaim deeds at the St. Louis County Recorder of Deeds Office, transferring ownership of several homes into his company’s name, Tied Tight Entertainment LLC, by forging previous owners’ signatures.
The fraudulent deeds affected properties in St. Louis County valued at over $25,000 each, including homes on Silver Fox, Wildfox Court, Derhake Road, and Renfrew Drive. The scheme also involved Townes presenting himself as a notary public at the Recorder of Deeds Office on multiple occasions despite not being authorized to notarize documents in Missouri.
According to the probable cause statement, Townes deprived First Key Management Homes of MO LLC and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development of ownership rights through these false filings.
The St. Louis County Police Department’s Bureau of Crimes Against Property detectives are leading the investigation. Authorities urge residents to remain vigilant and check for property fraud alerts through the county’s official website.
Charges are accusations, and Townes is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Check here for St. Louis County fraud alerts:
Please note, charges are merely an accusation, and Defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law.????
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