Woman charged with fraud in alleged rent scam
COEUR d’ALENE — A woman is in jail after police said she posed as a homeowner and collected tens of thousands of dollars in deposits and rent from people hoping to move into a property she didn’t own.
April N. Lawson, 44, is charged with six counts of grand theft, forgery of a vehicle title and fraudulent use of a computer, all felonies.
The charges stem from the summer of 2022, when Post Falls police alleged that Lawson took between $25,000 and $40,000 from others under “deceptive or false pretenses” over three months. Between June and August of that year, police received multiple reports of fraud related to a house on Weatherby Avenue.
The homeowner told police that multiple people had come to the house, which she had rented to Lawson until recently, with plans to move in. The individuals believed they had been communicating with the homeowner, according to court records, and had paid thousands of dollars in deposits and rent to someone using the homeowner’s name.
Police spoke with six prospective renters who said they saw the home listed for rent on Facebook and exchanged messages with a woman who used the homeowner’s name. Some of the individuals met the woman in person to tour the home, according to court records, and later identified Lawson in a photo lineup.
When Lawson requested money to secure the rental, court records said the prospective renters sent the funds to payment apps in Lawson’s name. After receiving their money, the renters said Lawson stopped responding to them and blocked their phone numbers and social media accounts.
In May 2022, Lawson allegedly sold a vehicle without a title to a woman for $5,000, then took the car back with the promise to put on a new set of tires in exchange for another $900, according to court records. The buyer told police that Lawson never returned the car or the money and blocked her number. After that, Lawson allegedly sold the car again to another individual.
When contacted by police, Lawson allegedly said she owed the original buyer her money back.
In July 2023, a Kootenai County judge issued a $200,000 warrant for Lawson’s arrest. Police arrested her in Ada County in January 2025. She appeared in court in Kootenai County on Tuesday via a video feed from jail.
In Idaho, grand theft is punishable by a minimum of one year and a maximum of 14 years in prison, as well as a fine of up to $5,000.