Former HGTV star Todd Hill sentenced to four years in Silicon Valley house flipping fraud case

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA: Todd Hill aka "Mr Flip It" was sentenced to four years in prison and ordered to pay $9.4 million in restitution on Tuesday, April 16, after being found guilty of real estate fraud. 

The 58-year-old was featured prominently in the HGTV show 'Flip It to Win It', which revolved around teams competing to renovate and sell abandoned houses.

Hill was indicted in November 2019 after an investigation revealed that he had taken part in multiple frauds, including a Ponzi scheme that affected 18 homes in Silicon Valley, as per DailyMail.

The reality TV personality was convicted on September 27, 2023, after he admitted to "grand theft against all victims and admitted the aggravated white-collar enhancements." 

Todd 'Mr Flip It' Hill used investors' money on luxury cars and vacations

The Santa Clara County District Attorney's office disclosed that Hill's fraud involved swindling investors' money to fund his extravagant lifestyle.

According to Oanh Tran, the prosecutor handling the case, said, "I think this is a major real estate fraud case - there are 11 victims here who are still dealing with the fallout," adding, "He took money from an investor who he started a company with, laundered the financial accounts which he had complete control over."

Hill even created false balance sheets and acquired loans using fraudulent information to conceal his theft.

Tran elaborated, "The point was to purchase a home and remodel them and sell them for a profit, but he would take the money that was given to remodel the home and spend it on luxury cars, vacations, partying as he has stated. And in order to account for that, he would label it as construction costs."

Todd 'Mr Flip It' Hill's victims are still dealing with the consequences of his frauds

The repercussions of Mr Flip It's fraudulent activities continue to reverberate as details emerge of the devastation inflicted upon his victims.

Max Keech, one of those affected, reportedly suffered a staggering loss of approximately $6 million after Hill manipulated financial records and submitted fraudulent invoices, as reported by The Mercury News.

Prosecutors, shedding light on the extent of the deception, revealed that another victim provided $250,000 for remodeling, only to discover the property burned to the ground with no renovations completed.

According to court documents, most of the fraudulent schemes occurred in 2013, with Hill exploiting investors' funds for personal gain.

Tran noted, "Businesses were shut down, one victim lost his home, so the consequences of his fraud are far-reaching that cover various aspects of life that these victims are still dealing with." 

HGTV's 'Flip It to Win It' aired for two seasons between 2013 and 2014.