A Chicago man has admitted guilt in a case of residential burglary after being accused of squatting in homes located in the south suburbs.

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Authorities apprehended Lashawn Rankine as he was attempting to move into a property in Evergreen Park that was listed for sale.

Investigators revealed that Rankine had created a fraudulent lease agreement for the Evergreen Park home, aiming to deceive the owner. This led to his arrest and subsequent charges.

The I-Team, which has been investigating squatting incidents for years, noted that Rankine’s name has surfaced in three separate alleged squatting cases.

READ MORE | Man linked to alleged south suburban squatting faces charges of burglary and forgery in Evergreen Park

Rankin pleaded guilty and was sentenced to two years of probation last week.

He was ordered to pay restitution of $624. He must get permission to leave Illinois and cannot possess a firearm.

The victim in this case told ABC7 he was not happy with the outcome. He said in part “he only gets a slap on the wrist.”

Sam is on your side. If you have something you want Samantha Chatman and the ABC7 Consumer I-Team to look into, call her at 312-750-7TIP.

I-TEAM | Squatting in Illinois: A Statewide Fight