'Finders keepers': Audacious Lehigh Acres, Florida woman attempted to steal 2 homes
Stacey Henson- A Florida woman was found guilty of trespassing and theft for attempting to illegally claim ownership of two homes.
- Suenahmie Meoshie Bradford filed false deeds with the Lee County Clerk of Court but the documents were rejected due to improper information.
- Bradford claimed "finders keepers, losers weepers" when confronted by police at one of the homes.
A jury convicted a Lehigh Acres woman who attempted to steal two houses — telling officers "finders keepers, losers weepers" — the State Attorney's Office, 20th Judicial Circuit reported Monday.
It's a crime, however, State Attorney Amira Fox says homeowners can easily protect themselves against.
Suenahmie Meoshie Bradford, 49, filed false deeds to steal the property rights from homeowners, Fox's office said. The jury found her guilty of trespassing and theft.
The Fort Myers Police Department investigated on Aug. 30, 2023, after a neighbor reported a woman walking around the property. The address was redacted in court documents.
The caller didn't recognize the woman.
Lehigh Acres woman defends attempt at claiming home
Officers met Bradford at the scene. She told them the home had been abandoned and now belonged to her, the arrest affidavit indicates, saying she simply entered through the back door.
Officers said Bradford told them she drove by the home and said to herself "this beautiful home, who would leave it like this and not use it?"
She showed officers a Quit Claim Deed showing her as the owner. In Florida, a real estate owners use a quit claim deed to quickly transfer ownership of the property to another person. It is one of the quickest and cleanest ways to transfer property.
Officers noted that the home had not been abandoned, had freshly cut grass, a clean pool and was under repair from hurricane damage.
Bradford told the officers there was no sign that the owners were living in the home, the affidavit said. However, the owners had clothing in the closets, personal documents, furniture, and electronics there.
The owners told officers they split their time between homes in Fort Myers and Kentucky They had last visited the home on April 7, 2023.
Bradford, however, told the officers that the house was hers: “Finders keepers, losers weepers.”
The deed she presented, however, was never accepted by the Lee County Clerk of Courts because of improper transfer information, and police removed her from the property.
On another property the defendant had hired a locksmith and drilled into a door. The homeowner witnessed the breach on video from their northern home. The clerk also did not accept that deed.
The incidents happened between May and June 2023.
Bradford told officers that she has seen other people taking houses. She said she planned to take care of the property, and, when the owners returned, charge them for the work she had done.
Sentencing is scheduled for May 27. She had returned to Lee County Jail on March 26, 2025, held without bond.
How do homeowners protect their investment?
Although the deeds were not accepted by the Clerk of Court in this case, if they had been there could have been drastic and expensive consequences for the homeowner, Fox said.
She reminded all property owners in the 20th Judicial Circuit that the State of Florida’s Court Clerks and Comptrollers have a free statewide monitoring program.
Property owners can sign up to receive notice of any deeds or mortgages that are filed against their property at www.flclerks.com under “Property Alert Services.”
Assistant State Attorney James Miller, State Attorney’s Office economic crimes unit chief, prosecuted the case.