Search on for Macomb Man Tied to Craigslist Home Rental Scam

Macomb County Sheriff's deputies are searching for a 31-year-old Macomb Township man facing five felony charges stemming from what police are calling a "home rental scam."

Ibrahim Jeffrey El-Bathy faces four counts of false pretenses–a five-year felony–and one count of use of a computer communicating with another to commit a crime–a seven-year felony.

The sheriff's office has been unable to locate El-Bathy since they were alerted to his alleged crimes last month. Anyone with information regarding the suspect's whereabouts is asked to call 586-469-5151.

Deputies from the Macomb Area Computer Enforcement team were first alerted to El-Bathy's alleged activities in February, after receiving numerous complaints regarding a Craigslist posting for a "Home for Rent" in Macomb Township.

According to reports, several people told police they responded to the Craigslist posting and met with a man, later identified as El-Bathy, at a Macomb Township home. El-Bathy had keys to the home and gave the victims a walk-through of the residence.

The investigation has so far revealed that the suspect possibly scammed four families out of approximately $1,500-$2,000 in false lease agreement deposits and first month's rent.

Although El-Bathy provided the parties with receipts and contracts, he also gave two of them a set of keys to the home, according to police.

One of them moved into the residence based on the lease agreement with El-Bathy, and while living in the home, was contacted by other perspective lessees as well as additional individuals with keys and lease agreements to the residence.

The potential renters later discovered that the suspect had never stopped advertising the home for rent on Craigslist, according to police.

The owner of the home in question, who is the suspect’s father, was notified and returned to Michigan from California. The homeowner has met with one of the people who filed a police report, that had moved into the home under a false lease agreement and, in good faith, provided them with a legal lease agreement, according to police.