Tennessee swindlers Stuart Breakstone Rebecca Tuttle forged deeds to steal Memphis homes for $10
In a shocking turn of events, Tennessee swindlers have been caught forging signatures of unsuspecting homeowners on deeds to transfer property ownership for a mere $10 in a quit-claim scheme. Stuart Breakstone and his partner in crime, Rebecca Tuttle, executed their scheme on at least two residences in Memphis, Tennessee between 2010 and 2025, according to property records obtained by The Post.
The duo is accused of falsifying signatures of homeowners, buyers, and even a notary on quit-claim forms to illegally transfer ownership of the properties for a nominal fee of $10, as reported by WREG. This deceitful tactic involved initially acknowledging the $10 payment in the deed transfer documents, only to later state the actual sale price of the property.
For instance, one deed stated, “That for and in consideration of ten and no/100 Dollars ($10.00) cash in hand paid, and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt of all of which is hereby acknowledged, said party of the first part has bargained and sold does hereby bargain, sell, convey and confirm unto said party of the second part, following described real estate, situated and being in the County of Shelby, State of Tennessee, to wit.”
The homes affected by this fraudulent scheme are situated on the 1600 block of Ivy Road in East Memphis and the 800 block of Baltic Street in the Highland Heights neighborhood, approximately seven and a half miles apart. After successfully getting the documents accepted by city officials, Breakstone proceeded to flip the Ivy Road home for $82,000, well below its actual value of $157,000.
The criminal activity came to light when a homeowner noticed her house was no longer listed under her name in the property records. Breakstone allegedly used a stolen driver’s license and Social Security card to open a bank account where he deposited the proceeds from the property sales. He was apprehended and charged with theft of property exceeding $250,000, forgery, identity theft, and unlawfully drawing a property transfer document without an interest in the property.
Breakstone is currently held on a $110,250 bond and is set to appear in court on April 21. Meanwhile, Tuttle remains at large. Breakstone’s name appears on several warranty deeds as a grantor transferring ownership of various properties for $10, raising suspicions about the extent of his involvement in fraudulent activities.
As the investigation continues, it remains unclear if the other properties associated with Breakstone are linked to the criminal case. The Memphis Police Department has been contacted for further information on the ongoing probe.
