A woman working as a property manager took fees from potential renters for an apartment complex that had no vacancies, leaving the victims homeless, Pinellas Park police said.
Tonya Renee Johnson, 35, is charged with scheme to defraud, possession of a controlled substance and violating Kentucky probation for obtaining a controlled substance by fraud. Bail was set at $7,000.
According to police, while working as a property manager at an apartment complex on Park Boulevard, Johnson took application and holding fees and security deposits from five potential renters, promising apartments in the complex. There were no apartments available, however, leaving the victims without a place to stay.
Johnson had the victims get money orders for the fees and had them leave the payee section blank, police said. Then she would cash the money orders and keep the money, police said.
She got $2,450 from the scheme, police said. She was arrested Thursday.
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