New Bedford man found guilty for stealing thousands from fake apartment scam

TAUNTON, Mass. (WLNE) — The Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office announced on Monday that a man was found guilty for stealing $20,400 by exploiting 13 people in 2022.

Victor Tiu Lopez, of New Bedford, was found guilty on one count of Witness Intimidation, eight counts of Larceny Over $1,200 by False Pretenses, and four counts of Larceny Under $1,200 by False Pretenses.

In September 2022, Lopez was indicted for allegedly collecting over $20,000 in rent deposits between February and April after he falsely claimed he was the owner, or upcoming owner, of affordable apartments in New Bedford.

The AGO said many of the renters, who were part of the Guatemalan Mayan community, were more vulnerable to the scam due to being a part of the housing crisis in New Bedford.

Additionally, Lopez was convicted of threatening to kill a community organizer from Centro Comunitario De Trabajadores, a non-profit that supports immigrant workers, who helped assist the victims report Lopez’s fake contracts, according to the AGO.

The court gave Lopez two back-to-back two-year sentences in the House of Correction, followed with one year of probation.