19-Year-Old Forges Deed, Pockets $72,000 In Phony Property Sale: Palos Heights PD

PALOS HEIGHTS, IL — A 19-year-old man is accused of defrauding a Palos Heights title company by forging a deed and facilitating the sale of a property in a nearby suburb. Muhammad N. Salem, of Riverside, is charged with forgery and one count of theft greater than $10,000 but less than $100,000, both felonies.

The scheme unfolded on Nov. 20, when Palos Heights took a report from the manager of a title company, who stated that they were the victim of a theft. The manager said they facilitated the sale of a property in the 4900 block of 84th Street in Burbank. After the sale was completed, police said the manager learned that the deed was forged and the sale of the property was a phony.

The title company had been contacted by the owner of the property, who believed that the deed to the residence was forged and filed with the Cook County Clerk’s office fictitiously. The current owner of the property received the residence when the owner passed in 2019.

Investigators learned that the deed was forged in April 2025, showing that the deceased owner had signed the property over to Gold Coast Realty LLC. Police said that once the deed was transferred, Gold Coast Realty fraudulently sold it over the internet.

Through search warrants, investigators discovered that the suspect, later identified as Salem, purchased an account on Optery, a web-based product where customers can pay to delete information from the internet. Police said Salem paid to delete the deceased property owner’s information from the internet to cover his tracks.

According to police, bank records from Salem’s account showed the $72,000 transfer from the title company that was in Salem’s own name.

On Thursday, Salem turned himself in at the Palos Heights Police Department. The Cook County State’s Attorney approved felony charges. Salem is to appear at the Bridgeview Courthouse at a later date for his initial court appearance.