ROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) - State police say a Rochester-area realtor has been charged with stealing nearly $27,000 from potential home owners who had given him deposit money.
Troopers say 65-year-old John Valerio of Rochester stole $26,800 from nine people dating back to June 2010.
Valerio is the owner of Lamplighter Realty in the town of Greece. Police say he would take a person’s deposit on a purchase offer while acting as their realtor, but wouldn’t submit the offer on the property and instead kept the money.
Troopers charged Valerio last Friday with grand larceny. It couldn’t be determined if he had a lawyer.
Police in Greece and Irondequoit have similar ongoing investigations involving Valerio.
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