SOUTH FULTON, Ga. — An HOA treasurer facing charges after authorities found "financial irregularities" dealing with Camelot Condominiums has turned themselves in, according to police.
City of South Fulton Chief Keith Meadows said the treasurer, Lyndon Baldwin Sr., surrendered Monday. Baldwin and the HOA president, Bettye Ligon, face theft by conversion and theft by taking charges. 11Alive learned last week that Ligon had already turned herself in.
During a press conference earlier this month, Meadows explained how their investigation into the condos began after three residents came forward and filed complaints against the HOA board. Meadows said an initial building fire in 2020 caused insurance companies to give the HOA board a $250,000 check. A second fire destroyed the building, and HOA received a $1.5 million check to compensate residents. Financial irregularities were found when police looked into the account where the funds were stored.
In an update Monday, officers said they believe there is at least a dozen homeowners who haven't received anything from the HOA.
“I'm angry. I'm mad as h-e-l-l, you know? Honestly, I'm trying to smile through all the confusion," Perfect Love said.
She owns about 40 units at the condo complex with her husband, including one destroyed in the 2020 fire.
"We got 314. That's our unit," Love said. "Since then, we have been through multiple things as far as they took us to court. They have done a lot to us trying to basically leave us in the dark of all the money that was received."
Out of $1.3 million granted to the HOA in insurance money, only six residents received compensation, Meadows previously said. Currently, police are seeking additional residents who did not receive compensation.
"There are laws in place where there should be proper banking, proper auditing, proper paper trails for everything, because at that point you're able to hold them liable," South Fulton Police Lt. Ebony Bullock said.
Love is one of the residents who didn't receive any funds.
“We're looking for the homeowners who owned in 2020 units 313 through 324. We want to speak with them to determine whether or not they received a payout from the insurance company because the building itself was demolished," Bullock said.
Love had a message for the HOA treasurer as her life remains in limbo.
“How can you guys sit there and know that you guys victimized us? Us, as in all the homeowners, from what we are and what we invested our life savings in?” she asked.
South Fulton Police investigators said they expect to charge additional people in the near future.
History of Camelot Condos
For years, the condos have deteriorated, and more recently, in 2020, a fire destroyed a building at the complex.
The condos have become notorious for suffering from blight and neglect. According to the City of South Fulton Police Department, 15 homicides have happened at Camelot since 2019, and at least six of them have happened this year alone.
People have asked that the front and back gates of the complex be fixed - and if the funds manifest - to get security cameras in the complex.
City of South Fulton Mayor khalid kamau lived in the troubled complex for 10 months after taking office to better understand the issues there. Ultimately, residents blame the HOA's inactions and have said they were working to hire an attorney to file a lawsuit against the association.
In the meantime, there are proposed plans to revitalize the space, which includes building senior housing and possibly adding retail development in the complex to help the condo's longest residents stay in their homes.