Second suspect charged in house sale scam

Police have charged a second suspect in a house for sale scam.

Jeffrey Lightbourne is accused of defrauding Tia Knowles out of $20,000 in relation to the purchase of a home in Eastwood.

Lightbourne denied the charge of fraud by false pretenses his arraignment before Deputy Chief Magistrate Andrew Forbes today.

Lightbourne’s co-accused, Tameko Bannister, who also uses the surname Christie, has also denied swindling Knowles during the proposed sale.

They both return to court for trial on March 31, 2021.

Knowles, an Immigration Officer, reportedly gave the men the money as a down payment for the home.

However, prosecutors say the home didn’t belong to Bannister or Lightbourne.