Squatter accused of trespassing at Jamaica, Queens home takes plea deal, avoids jail time
NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- It's a squatting case unlike any other prosecutors have seen before.
Lance White-Hunt, 24, was accused of trespassing inside a Jamaica, Queens home, then suing the homeowner for illegal eviction and forging a fake lease and utility bills to claim he had a right to be there.
White-Hunt was facing 18 charges and the possibility of 15 years behind bars. Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said he took a plea deal. He pleaded guilty to identity theft, offering a false instrument for filing tampering with physical evidence.
He'll return to Queens County Criminal Court in November and is expected to be sentenced to five years probation, 20 days of community service and he must pay $3,900 for the victim's attorney fees.
It's a case Eyewitness News has been following that started back in March of this year.
Real estate broker Ejona Bardhi showed up to a home in Jamaica, Queens that she was showing to potential renters.
However, when she checked on the property, the locks were changed and Lance White-Hunt was inside.
"And the first thing he says is 'Can I help you? I'm a tenant here, I've been a tenant here since January,'" Bardhi said. "And I said 'No you haven't I was just here doing a showing.'"
She called police, and when they showed up, White-Hunt left. But then he did something prosecutors haven't seen before. White-Hunt filed a civil suit against the homeowner and realtor claiming he was illegally evicted.
On top of that, prosecutors say he forged a fake lease and fake utility bills.
That's when Queens District Attorney Katz got involved and filed charges against him.
"It's very audacious and it's also just plain wrong," Katz said.
"You can't walk into a house that's not your and claim you have a right to stay and then, by the way, sue the person that owns it," Katz said. "I want to send a very clear message, that's not happening and in the city of New York, it shouldn't be allowed to happen."
Eyewitness News reached out to White-Hunt's attorney who hasn't responded.
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