A Boynton Beach Realtor is accused of defrauding her clients out of more than $50,000 towards their home purchase.
Rosa Martinez deposited money a couple gave to her for payments on the home directly into her own account, according to a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office investigation.
The couple told investigators in December 2015 that they hired Martinez to buy a home in Boynton Beach. They said they gave Martinez $30,000 for a down payment and made $635 in payments each month for two years. In addition, they said they spent $70,000 on repairs to the home.
An investigator traced the payments to a bank account in Martinez’s name. Texts between the victims and Martinez showed Martinez making excuses for why the closing had not yet occurred, according to an arrest report
The previous owner of the house told a detective Martinez arranged for the couple to lease the house from him and that she handled the entire transaction. Several months later, the bank foreclosed on the house.
Court records show the couple sued Martinez over the house for damages in Jan. 2017. That case remains open.
Detectives arrested and charged Martinez with grand theft on Wednesday and she was released from the Palm Beach County Jail on $5,000 bond.