NEW ORLEANS — A man accused of taking people’s properties using false deeds, featured in WWL Louisiana’s “Un-Real Estate” investigative series was back in court.
Jonathan Burden, who covered his face with a shawl had nothing to say as he left the federal courthouse in downtown New Orleans.
Thursday, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Meredith Grabill ruled Burden must pay $26,800 in sanctions for violating court orders concerning a Central City four-plex.
Burden filed a document in the Orleans Parish Land Records claiming the owner, Lorraine Robinson, signed over the property to him in 2019.
But he didn’t file it until after she died last year.
Judge Grabill ruled in June that Burden stole the property from Lorraine’s bankruptcy estate.
The plaintiff’s attorney, John DeTrinis, says his client, Johnnie Robinson, is now the rightful owner of the property.
“Mr. Burden tried to steal his property, that was his sister’s property before she passed away,” DeTrinis said. “He was the heir to the property and Mr. Burden showed up and tried to claim he was the owner of it.”
Burden claimed in court documents that he failed to appear at a bankruptcy hearing last June because he didn’t receive proper notice.
That’s when Judge Grabill ordered him into court to pay back the rent he collected on Robinson’s property and to explain why he shouldn’t face sanctions.
On the stand, Burden testified that the hearing notice and summons went to his house in the 2000 block of Peniston Street.
But he claimed he was actually living in Marrero at the time.
“We proved that he did live at that address, that he uses that address for all of his businesses,” DeTrinis said. “We went through 10 businesses that he owns. He confirmed that he owned those businesses. He confirmed he used that address for all his businesses. We showed a deposition transcript where he admitted under oath that he lived at that address.”
Earlier this month, Burden was arrested in New Orleans.
He was accused of shooting a man in the arm in Central City, sending him to the hospital.
DeTrinis called the alleged gun violence very concerning.
“We’re hoping that Mr. Burden doesn’t do anything else stupid and of course, obviously with the character of a person like that, I do worry,” DeTrinis said.
Johnnie Robinson is suing Burden for fraud.
“This dude ain’t right,” Robinson said. “He needs to be stopped.”
At least seven other property owners have also sued Burden since 2019, accusing him of tricking them into signing allegedly bogus property transfers.
Some of Burden’s alleged victims told WWL Louisiana investigative reporter David Hammer that federal agents had interviewed them.