Squatters Moved into $1M Bethesda House: Police

Editor’s Note: This story was updated on Jan. 28, 2015, to remove the suspect’s name after district court charges were dropped. Ramon Korionoff, public affairs officer for the Montgomery County State’s Attorney office, says the investigation is ongoing.

----------

A Kensington family was allegedly caught moving into a million-dollar Bethesda house they didn’t own, and the father now faces criminal charges, according to the Associated Press.

A suspect was arrested for squatting after he, his wife, their three children and the family dog moved into a custom home.

Family members were reportedly unpacking a moving truck at the house when its owner arrived. After an exchange of words, the homeowner called Montgomery County Police.

Want more Patch news? Subscribe to the daily Bethesda email newsletter.

The suspect told police a consulting firm bought the home for him and that he was the firm’s principal member. But the suspect had no documents to support his story. Police then forced the family to leave the home.

The suspect declined to comment to WJLA when a reporter went to his house in Kensington. The station reports the family stained carpets, dented ceilings, moved expensive furniture into an outdoor storage shed and drilled through locks at the luxury house.

The house in the 7600 block of Dwight Drive in Bethesda has been listed for sale for a year, the TV station reports.

A federal court in California ordered the suspect to pay $1.5 million for misrepresentations to the National Futures Association and for solicitation of fraud in 2013, WJLA reports.

»Screenshots from WJLA TV of the house on Dwight Drive.

See Also:

Maryland Wow Houses: 150-Acre Estate, Million-Dollar Bay Views, French Country Manor and More

Maryland Bishop Accused Of Killing Bicyclist Has Drunk Driving History