Worthy Issues Statement on Fraudulent Housing Occupancy Task Force Arrests

TRENTON, NJ — Today, Walker Worthy, Jr. issued the following statement:

“As a member of the Fraudulent Housing Occupancy Task Force, I have personally responded to many calls about suspected illegal renting, and, as Deputy County Clerk of Mercer County, issued deeds to thousands of homeowners and directed residents toward the free Property Alert Service that began in 2016 and notifies homeowners by email whenever a document is recorded on their address, to detect forgeries. I have been concerned with and saddened by the volume of fraudulent renting happening in our city, and am so proud of the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office and the Police Departments of Trenton, Hamilton, Lawrenceville, Ewing and Princeton for coming together to do something about this. I want to commend their work, and the work of my peers on the Fraudulent Housing Occupancy Task Force that led to a dozen arrests on Friday.

If elected to serve as Mayor, I will work with experts throughout New Jersey to craft a plan to redevelop vacant or foreclosed properties in ways that benefit the hardworking people of Trenton, not predatory scammers. While these illegal rackets are most prominent in Trenton, they also are happening in Hamilton, Lawrenceville, Ewing and Princeton, and as Mayor I will work hand in hand with the respective Mayors of these towns to conduct more frequent and thorough investigations into ownership of properties. Responsible shared service agreements can save taxpayers money while protecting homeowners, and, if elected to serve, I will prioritize entering into more responsible shared services that benefit Trenton families.”