On Thursday, U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Meredith Grabill ruled that Jonathan Barden must pay a $26,800 penalty for violating court orders regarding four Central City complexes. .
NEW ORLEANS — A man accused of using false deeds to take people's property, featured in Louisiana's WWL's “Non-Real Estate” investigative series, is back in court.
Jonathan Baden, his face covered with a shawl, left the federal courthouse in downtown New Orleans without saying a word.
On Thursday, U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Meredith Grabill ruled that Baden must pay a $26,800 penalty for violating court orders regarding four Central City complexes.
Baden filed documents with Orleans Parish Land Records claiming that owner Lorraine Robinson signed the land's surrender in 2019.
But he didn't file it until after she passed away last year.
Judge Grabill ruled in June that Baden had stolen property from Lorraine's bankruptcy estate.
Plaintiffs' attorney John Detrinis says his client, Johnny Robinson, is now the rightful owner of the property.
“Mr. Baden tried to steal his property, the property that belonged to his sister before she died,” Detrinis said. “He was the heir to the property, but Mr. Baden came along and he tried to claim he was the owner of it.”
Baden claimed in court documents that he did not appear at a bankruptcy hearing last June because he was not properly notified.
It was then that Judge Grabill appeared in court and ordered Robinson to pay back the rent he had collected on his property and explain why he should not be sanctioned.
Baden testified on the stand that a notice of hearing and a summons were sent to his home in the 2000 block of Peniston Street.
However, he claimed that he was actually living in Marrero at the time.
“We established that he actually lives at that address and that he uses that address for all of his business,” Detrinis said. “We looked at 10 businesses he owns. He admitted to owning those businesses. He admitted to using that address for all of his businesses. . We showed him a deposition in which he acknowledged under oath that he lived at that address.”
Earlier this month, Baden was arrested in New Orleans.
He is accused of shooting a man in the arm in Central City and sending him to the hospital.
Detrinis said he is deeply concerned about the allegations of gun violence.
“We're hoping that Mr. Baden doesn't do anything more stupid, but of course given the nature of someone like that, I'm concerned,” Detrinis said.
Johnny Robinson is suing Baden for fraud.
“This guy is not right,” Robinson said. “He needs to be stopped.”
At least seven other property owners have also sued Baden since 2019, accusing him of tricking them into signing purportedly bogus real estate transfer agreements.
Some of Baden's alleged victims told WWL Louisiana investigative reporter David Hamer that federal agents had interviewed them.
