ASHEVILLE – Lisa Roberts-Allen, 64, of Asheville, was sentenced on Wednesday in Buncombe County Superior Court to a minimum of 75 months and a maximum of 102 months in state prison for orchestrating a real estate fraud scheme that stripped local property owners of their homes and equity.
Special Superior Court Judge Steve Warren handed down the prison sentence following a multi-day trial. Roberts-Allen was also ordered to pay $55,000 in restitution to victim Richard Helbig, a Black Mountain retiree who lost his home to the scheme and was forced to live in a motel and return to work after his property was fraudulently acquired and flipped for profit.
A Buncombe County jury deliberated for seven hours across three days before returning guilty verdicts on eight felony charges:
Six counts of forging a deed
Two counts of obtaining property by false pretenses involving amounts exceeding $100,000
Exploitation of Vulnerable Homeowners
Prosecutors presented evidence showing that Roberts-Allen, who previously presented herself as a community housing advocate, targeted distressed, elderly, and vulnerable property owners across Buncombe County. The transactions involved fabricated signatures, forged deeds, and improper notarizations to seize control of residential properties and flip them for substantial profits.
The sentencing marks a critical milestone in a broader multi-year investigation into predatory property transactions in Western North Carolina that targeted generational wealth and family-owned real estate.