Residents urge Belleville to address homes tied to federal loan‑fraud case

Two Belleville residents told the City Council during public comment that properties they say were acquired through an admitted federal loan‑fraud scheme were left vacant or demolished, and asked the city to help get remaining properties returned to productive use. Nicole Hettenhausen, a neighborhood resident, said the defendant, Greg Crawford, “used illegal straw buyer schemes to acquire homes in our city, several of which were historically significant.” She said some properties “sat vacant and deteriorated” and that “some were eventually demolished despite interest from locals who wanted to purchase and restore them.” Hettenhausen named two properties she said remain tied to the same activity: 303 North Jackson and 609 South Jackson Street. Laurie Powell, who said she lives on South Jackson Street, told the council the home at 401 South Jackson was demolished this year and that neighbors had tried to buy it but were prevented by the defendant’s conduct. Powell asked whether the city could submit “a victim impact statement to the courts for his sentencing in October in the federal court.” She also asked the city to consider forming “some kind of a task force or idea group to study how other communities are taking on these vacant properties” and noted there had been a vacant‑property ordinance under a prior administration that is no longer in force. The remarks occurred during the meeting’s public participation period; the transcript does not show the council taking any formal action, directing staff, or responding with a commitment to file a court statement. No city staff described a legal process for seizing or transferring titles or provided a timeline for city intervention during the meeting. Because the speakers tied specific addresses to the fraud case, they asked the city to confirm the ownership and legal status of those parcels and to identify any administrative or legal steps available to return properties to productive, community‑minded use. For now, the record shows public comment requesting two specific things: that the city consider submitting a victim‑impact statement to the federal court ahead of an October sentencing, and that the city explore neighborhood‑focused measures — such as a task force or revisiting a vacant‑property ordinance — to address vacant and blighted properties. The council did not announce a vote or staff assignment on those requests during the meeting.