PITTSBURGH — An Allegheny County man who told 11 Investigates he was the victim of identity theft is now facing more than 130 counts of criminal charges, including forgery.
Detectives with the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office say William Schneider, 45, of Pittsburgh, forged notary seals and stole more than 35 properties by transferring his name onto deeds in Allegheny County.
Schneider turned himself in Wednesday after detectives say he admitted to the deed fraud scheme after initially denying any involvement. According to court paperwork, he told detectives he did it because it “was easy to do,” and he was “kind of on a roll.” He bought fraudulent notary stamps on Amazon.
11 Investigates confronted Schneider back in June when our team learned he was being investigated for the stolen deeds. He told 11 Investigates that his laptop was stolen and he was the victim in this case.
He said he owns more than 200 properties in the area, including on the South Side. He also told our investigative team to stop reporting fake news.
A co-conspirator has also been named. William Petruskie is facing dozens of charges related to the scheme, but court paperwork reveals Schneider was the ringleader.
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