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After serving 41/2 years in prison for Medicare fraud, Barry Haught returned to Tampa in 2008 and got into the business of buying and renting properties that had been foreclosed on by homeowners associations because the residents didn't pay their dues.
But on Thursday, U.S. District Judge James D. Whittemore ruled that Haught, 57, committed a felony in his new role as landlord and sent him back to prison for four months for violating conditions of his supervised release. After serving the sentence, he will be under supervised release for two years.
On Dec. 30, Haught entered the Brandon home of Terry McPhatter, a tenant who was behind on her rent. With McPhatter at work and two of her children watching, Haught removed the locks from her front door, then destroyed the family's TV, cable box and a PlayStation by ripping them from the wall and throwing them to the floor, McPhatter testified.
In court, Haught admitted removing the locks but denied damaging the tenant's property. He told the judge he had been sent by his employer, Ralph Chancey of Tampa, to "send a message" to McPhatter.
"We wanted to let her know the seriousness of our intent to evict her if there was no rent payment," said Haught, who said he simply moved the TV to the garage.
Haught and Chancey said the lease allowed the landlord to enter and inspect the property at will. But the judge said Florida bans such practices, regardless of what is written into a lease. Whittemore said that by forcibly entering McPhatter's residence and removing the lock, Haught was guilty of burglary.
"You set the stage when you went over there to intimidate this tenant," Whittemore said. "You did what the law prohibits, which is a 'self-help eviction.' "
Haught also was ordered to attend an anger-management course and pay $150 a month restitution toward the $9.7 million he still owes for the Medicare fraud.
Kris Hundley can be reached at khundley@sptimes.com or (727) 892-2996.
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