Former HGTV Star Faces $10 Million Fine and Prison Time for Real Estate Fraud.
In the heyday of home renovation shows like Fixer Upper and Flip It to Win It, viewers were captivated by the transformation of rundown properties into dream homes.
However, one former HGTV star’s rise to fame was tainted by allegations of real estate fraud.
Charles “Todd” Hill, known for his role on Flip It to Win It, has been sentenced to 4 years in jail and ordered to repay nearly $10 million to his victims after being convicted of fraud.
The show aired in 2013 and depicted Hill and his team purchasing dilapidated homes, renovating them, and selling them for profit.
According to prosecutors, Hill’s fraudulent activities occurred between 2012 and 2014, coinciding with the airing of his show.
The charges against him include grand theft, embezzlement, and diversion of construction funds.
Hill was found guilty last year of various schemes, including a Ponzi scheme, which involved using laundered money for personal expenses such as luxury cars and vacations.
Hill’s deceitful practices involved falsifying financial documents and misusing construction funds.
In one instance, an investor who entrusted $250,000 to Hill for a property renovation discovered that the property was left in ruins with no work completed.
Following an investigation by the district attorney’s office, Hill was indicted in November 2019 and later pleaded guilty to grand theft charges.
He has been ordered to repay over $9.4 million in restitution and will serve ten years on probation.
Victims who spoke at the hearing expressed the ongoing financial and professional repercussions they have endured due to Hill’s actions.