PITTSBURGH — The two men accused of pulling off the largest deed fraud scheme in Western Pennsylvania history are out of jail. They were able to walk free ahead of their next court date, without paying a dime.
11 Investigates told you last week when detectives from the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office arrested William Schneider and William Petruskie on nearly 150 felony charges for the large-scale property thefts.
11 Investigates is learning the deed fraud scheme is not the only thing under investigation. There have been at least four fires at addresses connected to William Schneider. Sources tell 11 Investigates those cases are now getting a closer look.
On May 18, an 80-year-old woman barely escaped a fire that spread to her West 14th Avenue home in Homestead.
“I fell out of the door, and fell down the stairs, tried to roll out in the grass,” she told Channel 11.
A couple and their two-year-old son were able to get out, but they lost everything.
“Before I could even look, I felt the flames coming through the window,” the homeowner told Channel 11. “Our whole lives are in there, but the one little thing as a mom I thought about was the blanket I brought my son home with.”
Four homes were destroyed by that fast-moving fire on West 14th Avenue.
Last August, less than a half mile away, flames shot through the roof of a West Street home in Homestead. A charred deck was all that was left behind.
Both of those homes are owned by William Schneider, the man now facing over 130 felony charges for allegedly forging signatures and notary seals and stealing more than 40 properties from Allegheny County homeowners.
Channel 11 interviewed him after his South Side home was set on fire in June. Police arrested two women for arson in that case.
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Then, days later, another South Side property owned by the fraudulent LLC, “Motion Ways,” connected to Schneider, burned down.
We asked the Allegheny County District Attorney’s office if they’re looking into the fires as part of the investigation. A spokesperson tells 11 Investigates, “Our investigation of the surrounding circumstances continues; thus, we cannot speak to any specifics.”
We also asked the City of Pittsburgh Fire Department if they’re investigating the fires on the South Side. They have not yet responded.
If William Schneider or William Petruskie don’t show up for their next court date, they would each have to pay $50,000.
The victims in this case that Channel 11 talked to on Monday were outraged that the two men connected to the fraudulent deeds were released without paying a dime.
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