I
n a shocking turn of events, a prominent Asheville real estate investor and attorney has been hit with felony charges in a long-running state investigation. Robert Perry Tucker II, 62, faces two counts each of filing a false lien and conspiracy to file a false lien, alongside co-defendants Ilesanmi Adaramola and Lisa K. Roberts.

    The charges stem from a series of real estate transactions in 2018 that led to companies controlled by Roberts purchasing and flipping properties, including one belonging to David Shroat, a former law enforcement officer who lost his Arden home and over $40,000 in the scheme. The indictments allege that Tucker, Adaramola, and Roberts filed false liens against Shroat's property and another, knowing they were false or contained materially false information.

    Adaramola, 40, was arrested in 2022 on other real estate-related charges, which are still pending. Her attorney, Stephen Lindsay, said they will defend the new charges vigorously and expect a trial date to be set likely in the fall. Tucker's attorney, Gregory Newman, declined to comment, while Roberts' representative, Jack Stewart, also chose not to speak.

    The investigation was sparked by Asheville Watchdog's 7-part Equity Erased series, which exposed how Buncombe homeowners, many elderly and/or Black, lost years of property wealth in deals with Roberts and Tucker. The scheme involved using a Jim Crow-era law to sell properties at a fraction of their market value, often leaving homeowners with nothing.

    The false liens were used to deter other buyers from bidding on the properties, making it easier for Roberts' companies to purchase them cheaply and flip them for profit. One such property was sold by Roberts' company for $210,000 just months after being purchased for $145,000, netting a $40,118 profit.

    Adaramola's attorney claimed she was unaware of the scheme and was simply following her clients' instructions. However, an investigation found no evidence that any money was lent or repaid in the mortgage between Roberts' and Tucker's companies, which created a false lien on Shroat's property.

    The case has raised questions about the exploitation of vulnerable homeowners and the use of false liens to manipulate real estate transactions. The North Carolina secretary of state, which brought the charges, declined to comment due to the pending nature of the cases.