Sam Leccima Gathers More Attention
Posted: June 1, 2007 Filed under: General 29 Comments »This morning, Yahoo News posted an AP article titled ‘Flip This House’ star accused of fraud, which reported on Sam Leccima’s various problems.
You can learn more by reading about Samuel P. Leccima’s Real Estate License Revocation, or watching part one and part two of Dale Russell’s Fox 5 I-Team Report. I am informed that Dale will be adding a third installment of his investigative report Tuesday night. I’ll post links here.
Some developing reports on the web incorrectly indicate that Sam Leccima has been arrested, but a call by the Flip This Lawsuit webmaster to the Atlanta Department of Corrections indicates that Mr. Leccima remains, at this time, a free man.
Some users may have noticed problems accessing and using this website today. In the wake of the news, a significant spike in the number of visitors occurred, and it took our webhosts some time to resolve problems with accessing the site. At this point in time, the site should be loading much more quickly.
I do think that A&E is partially responsible–and no longer want to watch their reality shows. If this show is contrived, what’s to say the others aren’t (Cris Angel, anyone?)?? I do think they bear some of the brunt–as do the production company producing this… but the major thing that concerns me is–why didn’t they do a background check on this thief? Granted, with the “scripted” and fraudulent deceptions they wanted portrayed on the show–they had to find a dishonest person, no honest person would actually agree to this nonsense.
He is nothing more than a heartless, scam artist THIEF. And I have a feeling the next BIG house he is going to be living in will be exactly that—
the BIG HOUSE.
I ran across another website http://www.realliferealestateblog.com which also addresses the sam leccima incident. I agree that television is for entertainment, but people like sam give other business people and investors bad names.
I’m with you Aubrey. He and his wife are going to have to answer for their deceitful actions.
A&E laid down with dogs and woke up to fleas.
They should have stayed with the Real Deal.
😉
A call to the Atlanta Department of Corrrections may have confirmed that he is not in the city jail for such things as traffic offenses or jaywalking. It may not tell you if he was in the Fulton County jail, which houses people arrested on state crimes, or in the jail of one of the other metro area counties or agencies.
Its also all over AOL right now.. On their welcome page.. What a scam.. I wonder if the Texas team did any kind of crap like this.. How horrible..
Jay, where I agree with you that television is for entertainment–this show went beyond that. Having read peoples comments on here and other sites–they were using this as a way to gain information into going into this market (real estate investing).. Who knows how many people had false ideals going into it and lost money?!? Plus, this scum wad used this show and his notoriety to get more victims (via his websites and companies). So, this is far beyond people’s claims that it is “just reality tv” or “just a tv show”.
and I am sorry but Angie Wilford needs to go, too. She participated in this fraud, and A&E still has her participating in more episodes.
I like watching FTH and I agree with most about the cast, I liked Richard’s crew, The Montelongos are so rude and Sam L. was entertaining to say the least. However, I will say that after watching FTH and seeing it “behind the scenes” it makes me skeptical to ever buy a house that has been remodeled b/c this show actually shows us what flippers will do to “patch up” something quickly in a time-crunch. Many times, they just cover it up and it’s a pure cosmetic look, but underneath, HA! You are liable to fall through the floor in some of these flips, much less mentioning the walls!!
Scary, shady stuff IMO.
A&E definitely bears some responsibility in this fraud. It wasn’t as if this website hadn’t outed Mr. Leccima back in August of 2006. And very little digging would have revealed a license revocation and shady dealings.
If the show was simply “cast”, then the fact that A&E simply “took them at their word” before casting them for the show is unexcusable and simply hard to believe. I wonder if they would believe that I was a race car driver if they do a reality show about that?
Since A&E didn’t want to compensate Trademark, just how is Mr. Leccima making any profit considering he doesn’t own the houses he is “flipping”, has no license to sell them, and doesn’t complete the flipping process? Hmmmmmmm, very interesting.
A&E, tabloid television.
Hey Aubrey
I completely agree with your statement. Certain shows are more entertainment then reality, but flip this house was supposed to be more reality then entertainment. My friend actually got into real estate due to Richard and Trademark on the first season. It’s funny because I was thinking to myself the other day about the Angie Girl. Wasn’t she a part of the scam too. If this is the case she needs to get the boot to.
New episode of ‘Flip This House’ tonight. Featuring Atlanta’s Angela Wilford.
According to A&E…
Purchase price: $140,000
Investment after ‘renovation price: $81,000
Total ‘in’: $241,000
Not sold, and still not sold, asking price: $325,000
“$325000 East Atlanta HOT Renovation!!
Reply to: hous-338768747@craigslist.org
Date: 2007-05-26, 12:41PM EDT
To be featured on A&E’s hit show “Flip this House”, June 2nd
episode. This is like a brand new home, with an open loft
floor plan. All new systems, custom trim, stainless appliances,
granite, travertine, island in gourmet kitchen, and more!! Just
minutes from shopping, restaurants, and downtown.
Call Angie Wilford at 404-499-4333
http://www.avenue-realty.com for pictures and more info.”
http://atlanta.craigslist.org/rfs/338768747.html
Check the ‘comps’ here…
http://www.zillow.com/
Or here…
http://www.realestateabc.com/
WAYYYYYYYYY over priced for the neighborhood. Whoops! ; )
Forgot to add…
The address is ‘940 Stallings Ave. Atlanta, GA’ ; )
Angie,
I’m not a ‘flipper’ but geeze! ‘Flipping 101’… You NEVER go over what the neighborhood will bear. In fact, you go UNDER for a quick sale. Me thinks you need to watch some Trademark reruns on A&E, and watch ‘The Real Deal’ on TLC ; )
Just in, Sam Leccima was arrested for Fraud!!!
http://www.gambling911.com/Sam-Leccima-of-Flip-This-House-Arrested-for-Fraud-060107.html
What an a$$hole! I find something ironic. If you go on his website, and view his book, one of the chapters is entitled, “I cheated. So should you!!!”
Who is making the calls at A&E to put this trash on t.v.
People stop playing the race card on this one. Those of you comparing this guy to OJ Simpson have really corssed the line. With that being said, as a black women living in Atlanta, Sam disgusts me. Did any of you see the news report and/or read Dales blog? He’s praying on other black people. If anyone is bringing black people down is Sam. He’s no role model to us black people, living up to his eyeballs in credit, de-frauding the welfare system and again praying on his own people. He’s making it harder on honest black men, and is one of the reasons our minority group doesn’t stick together like other groups. On his shows in indicates that he has sold houses, which are still on the market. He has had fake people come in the houses and make fake offers. They call it reality TV for a reason, its supposed to be true, but when he’s interviewed he says” it’s just TV show”. Open your eyes his a fraud.
Merein, I agree with you. It has absolutely nothing to do with his skin color– breaking the law and stealing money from innocent people is wrong, regardless of your color.. and from the report, it looks like a lot of his investors were black.
This world amazing me everyday.. People are greedy and ruthless. But, A&E hired this man to act this way- which he used to drum up victims from–via his website. He used his fame from that show to promote himself–his “business”/fraud–and his books. They should be ashamed of themself, too..and bear some of the responsiblity. They really made him seem legit–making it easier for people to trust him.
The only way to salvage A&E is to cancel the show–or bring in entirely different people… and do it completely legit, the way it was run in the first season. and get rid of ANGELA–she was PART OF IT. aiding and abetting.
aubrey,
You hit it on the head. A&E ‘legitimized’ Sam, Angela, and the Montelongo’s too for that matter.
Cancel the show
Cancel the show?
Because you don’t like the current crews like you did Trademark’s?
Just get some true investors so that the public can get a true sense of what rehabbing is. The built a brand, why let it go to waste.
Fred,
“In our original video, we had a warning,” Davis says. “‘Do not try this at home. It’s for trained professionals. You will lose money.’ I got two guys following me around with a camera. There are no scripts. If I lose $100,000, you see it.”
http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/real-estate/20060330a1.asp
What you see is no longer what you get on FTH anymore, in my opinion
Part 3 is on. Too bad they don’t tell us about the other FTH teams.
http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail?contentId=3405410&version=2&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=1.1.1
RE: I-Team: Flip This House, Pt. 3
Angela Wilford’s official statement…
“No comment”
Thank you Steve in Texas for Flipping 101: You hit the nail right on the head.
I consider myself a low-level real estate investor and I am in fact a licensed realtor. My object when purchasing properties is to get the most bang for my buck focusing primarily on foreclosures. I consider the neighborhood. If the neighborhood doesn’t call for granite countertops, ceramic floors, recessed lighting, stainless steel appliances etc., (and it normally doesn’t), it’s not done. To do so is a complete and total waste of time and most importantly, money. Upgrading a home in a mediocre neighborhood is not going to bring in the buyers. If anything, buyers will see it as ridiculously overpriced.
Andy from Texas,
It looks like the first rule they broke is that they didn’t know or forgot that you make your money on the “Buy”.
Not what you ‘have to get for it’ or sell if for. If you don’t do that right, you’ve lost right out of the gate ; )
I don’t know Sam. I don’t watch Flip. I do know investors and I do know gurus. I have a serious problem with ANY ONE holding there self out as an expert in a field in which they have limited or no experience. You can see them all the time at investor groups small and large and on television, too. It is very difficult to hold seminars, work shops and other events and get people to attend when you refuse to charge tens of thousands of dollars (perceived value) or present less than accurate facts to encourage them to attend. Especially if the “trainer” is featured in a national forum. Again, I don’t know Sam or anything about him so I have no comment or perception of him. I do know investing and all of my students and clients will tell you I spend a great deal of time correcting lies people have paid to believe. Check out the people who you are paying to teach you – it’s very simple to verify honest information in real estate and finance.
For all of you who are regailing Sam Laccima you should see his comments when he was interviewed by Fox 5 Atlanta. It is so frightening to see so much support of someone who obviously has poor character. Anyone who would star in a program that is perported as REALITY when it is fully UNfactual is misleading the public. It is his fault for agreeing to such. Those of you so quick to stand up for him would probably have a different song if it were you who were stung by his fraudulent acts. I think that anyone who says, “It was in my past you should forgive me”, is simply trying to lessen the sting of their own poor morals. We need to get back to the basics where a lie is a lie and the truth is the truth. If you tell lies and mislead people you are a liar not just human. If I asked you do you tell lies and you say everyone does, you are correct. If I ask you if you tell lies and you say yes and I ask you what does that make you and you say human. You are just trying to keep the blame from yourself. However, if I ask you if I tell lies what would you call me, you would quickly say a liar. What’s up with the double standard???
the atlanta crew is a good example why you leave investing on tv to THE REALESTATE PROS and yes I am referring to the best TRADEMARK….go richard go!!!!
Angela Wilford has people in Atlanta thinking she’s an expert. She is a scam artist as well. She knew she wasn’t selling those homes for Sam for a profit. She even knew he didn’t own those homes. Why are people forgetting about her? She got a boost in business from being on the show. Sam’s reputation is hurt but hers is strengthened. That makes no sense. She’s a fake and doesn’t deserve any busisness. I’m calling her out for what she’s truly worth.
what ever happened to sam and shani? I know them or knew them as well. sam has always been kinda shady- i had one business deal go wrong when he was real estate agent and thats all it took for me. we were still friendly- i just never did business with him again. shani just kept having kids- that was a little suspect. then i heard about the welfare fraud and it all made sense. i havent seen them in awhile. i just dont know what to say. shani used to be so sweet but it appears that she has just been with sam too long and taken up his ways. i could tell you stories for days. but its not worth it. i feel for those of you who got sucked into his scam. he’ll get his. you cant out run karma.
I saw the intern from flip this house Texas, he worked under the montelongo brothers. I saw him doing surveys for marlboro cigarettes at the highlands night club in hollywood CA on saturday nights. Shows you how far he got with them!