Tiny house fraud? Kentucky man allegedly made sales using homes he didn’t own.

A Kentucky man used pictures of other people’s property in fake deals to sell tiny homes, a federal grand jury has charged.

The grand jury indicted Timothy M. Kelley last week on seven charges of wire fraud. The indictment did not include Kelley’s address, but said the alleged crimes happened in Wayne County.

Kelley allegedly marketed tiny homes over Facebook Marketplace between December 2019 and April 2020. He posted pictures of homes he said he owned or had built, but they actually belonged to other people, the indictment charged.

Kelley allegedly met potential buyers and showed them homes, falsely telling them he could deliver the houses later and requiring a down payment. Kelley didn’t own the houses, the indictment said.

When customers raised concerns about how long it was taking to get their houses, Kelley led them to believe the coronavirus pandemic had interfered with his ability to complete the homes, according to the indictment.

The seven charges included a total of just over $13,000 Kelley allegedly took from people.

The fraud charges are punishable by up to 20 years in prison.