A 37-year-old squatter was sentenced to 40 years in prison after squatting in a Panama City Beach condo.
Olandis Hobbs was sentenced on Tuesday in Florida. According to USA Today, Hobbs was found guilty of using false documents to illegally take ownership of the approximately $700,000 condo. State Attorney Larry Basford did not mince words when releasing a statement regarding the sentencing. "I hope this sends a strong message," said Basford. He continued that squatters will not be welcome in Northwest Florida. Basford made clear squatting, and subsequently theft, will "not be tolerated" across the state.
While it may feel like common sense, to harshly punish squatters, the issue has proven to give other states fits in recent times. For example, Hobbs himself had committed similar acts in New York, but was only ever sued. On the contrary, Florida is making a point to warn squatters of the consequences to such actions.
Along with the 40 years Hobbs was sentenced to, he also received 30 years of probation. Of the 40 years, 15 were earned for grand theft over $100,000. The remaining 25 years were for fraudulent use of personal identification information.
Notably, Hobbs was shown to have filed fraudulent paperwork in late 2022 with the Bay County Clerk of Circuit Court. Doing so transferred ownership of the condo to Hobbs, and away from the rightful owner - an 85-year-old woman and her children.
PCB Condo Squatter Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison
Judge Dustin Stephenson called the sentencing a "doozy" in a release. Judge Stephenson continued that the punishment was just, as Hobbs had "stole rest from the sunset of someone's life."
Squatting has become quite the hot topic in recent times. Several viral TikTok posts have shown squatters being removed from properties. Making the removal of squatters all the more difficult can be a state's own laws regarding the prosecution of crime. In the example of Hobbs himself, he was never prosecuted, nor arrested, in New York. He certainly learned that Florida operates a little differently, and hopefully, he is warning to others to never try such a heist in the Sunshine State again.
