La Plata, MD – Delicia “Octavia” Jones, 41 of Cheltenham, seemed to have a pretty good thing going. She posed as a realtor, had mortgage payments sent to her, but never paid the rent.

As part of a plea agreement Monday, March 2 in Charles County Circuit Court, Jones pled guilty to two charges of theft-scheme $10,000 to under $100,000.

Charles County Assistant State’s Attorney Jonathan P. Beattie told Judge Helen I. Harrington that Jones accepted mortgage payments for a family home in Pomfret “for a couple of years.

“At some point in 2010, when the homeowners were notified they were in default of their mortgage, they came into contact with Ms. Jones, who told them she would work it out with the bank,” Beattie said.

The homeowners discovered they were in arrears to the tune of $46,060.
In December of 2013, the homeowners were notified of a foreclosure action by the bank.

“The property was sold at foreclosure and the family was evicted from the home,” Beattie said.

He said Jones filed for a separate bankruptcy procedure and forged the victim’s signature to the document.

In the second case, both of which, Harrington noted, carry 10-year prison sentences, Jones plead guilty theft scheme $10,000 to $100,000 from when Jones rented a Waldorf property which she advertised on Craig’s List.

Beattie told the court she rented the property to  tenant for $1,975 a month and had the electric bill in her name. The actual property owner was unaware of the scam. He said the state’s investigation revealed Jones cashed one of the rental payment and deposited another in her bank account.

When the renter’s electricity was turned off, she complained to Jones.

“We believe the bill use was fraudulent,” Beattie said. “SMECO never received payments totaling $2,400.”

The victim in this case was the real property owner, he said, who told the state he “had never heard of Octavia Jones.”

As part of the plea agreement, Harrington said, Jones would receive no more active time than two years if $10,000 in restitution is paid before her sentencing in September. She added that if restitution was paid in full by sentencing date her actual incarceration time might be no more than one year.

Contact Joseph Norris at joe.norris@thebaynet.com