John Jefferson
Left to right: Fulton County Marshal’s agents raiding the North Atlanta home and speaking to one of the accused squatters (FCMD).
Three individuals in a romantic relationship had been illegally living inside of a Georgia mansion for nearly a year before they were evicted by a swath of armed law enforcement agents last week, the Fulton County Marshal’s Department announced.
According to an incident report, the department was alerted to at least three unauthorized occupants living in a “sprawling” 15,000-square-foot mansion on Belladrum Drive in north Atlanta. The agents involved took “significant precautions” in executing the raid due to the property’s “extensive area” and the fact that there were “indications” that the unauthorized tenants may have identified as “sovereign citizens.”
“Additional units were deployed to the scene to ensure safety and effective monitoring,” the marshal’s department wrote in the report. “A drone was also used for aerial surveillance to assess the situation and identify potential inhabitants. This approach aimed to enhance the department’s response and maintain public safety during the operation.”
Court documents obtained by Atlanta ABC affiliate WSB identified Abdurrashiyd York and Pamela Delpiano as two of the individuals who had been residing in the home. The documents reportedly stated that “others” had been unlawfully residing on the property as well.
A spokesperson for the marshal’s office told the station that the throuple accused of squatting first moved into the home while it was in the process of being foreclosed. Neighbors in the area reportedly told authorities that they believed the trio were there legally.
In January, JPMorgan Chase filed court documents seeking to have the trio removed from the property, WSB reported. However, one month later, York reportedly filed a counterclaim seeking $50,000 from the bank, which he claimed he was owed due to repairs and improvements he allegedly made to the property.
The marshal’s spokesperson also reportedly told the station that agents had discovered that a dog had recently died on the property and needed to be buried.
Earlier this year, Georgia passed a law to help landowners evict squatters where any individuals accused of moving into a property illegally are issued criminal citations and required to present a valid lease within three days. The law also allows neighbors or neighborhood groups to report suspected squatters.
A spokesperson for Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp championed the squatter legislation he signed into law, in a statement to WSB.
“The governor remains proud to have signed critical legislation passed by the General Assembly that immediately empowered local law enforcement with greater authorities to tackle illegal squatting in their communities,” spokesperson Garrison Douglas said. “Illegal squatting is theft and we look forward to our local partners in law enforcement utilizing their increased authorities in this area and holding criminal offenders accountable.”
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