You might have heard of the real estate agent in Hillsboro, Oregon who used his lock box key to enter into homes and burglarize them.   A homeowner returning from a business trip, walked into his house to find Michael Troy Messmer drinking a White Russian.  It seemed obvious that  Messmer had been in his liquor cabinet.

The homeowner asked Messmer what he was doing and Messmer replys, “I’m a Realtor” with that, him and his girlfriend walk out with a box full of the homeowner’s personal property worth about $260.  That was on February 1.

On February 5, this genius was found to have taken some minor items, toiletry and liqueur from a Cornelius home. The items were worth about $250. In both cases, he used his lock box key to enter the homes.

Of course Messner  was caught in short order.  This is because every time a Realtor uses his lock box key to open a lock box, (where the key to enter the house is located), a code is entered into the lock box leaving behind the agent’s name and the time that the house was entered.   It’s too bad that in every profession there is always somebody who is dishonest. Not only was this guy dishonest, but I think he makes the grade for the dumbest criminal of the year.

I don’t know if they do a background check on real estate agents in Oregon, but in California every licensed real estate agent and broker has to have background check prior to obtaining their license, giving assurances that people with criminal records do not get a license.