HAZLETON -- Felix Cabrera was thrilled to finally buy his first home.
His family decided to settle down in Hazleton.
Early last year, Cabrera bought a home on Seybert Street for about $32,000 in cash.
He says Ignacio Beato was his real estate agent.
"He said don't worry and he looked like you can trust him and this is what I get," said Cabrera.
What Cabrera got about a year later was a letter from the Luzerne County Sheriff's Office saying he was not the owner and needed to leave the property.
"He goes, 'Yeah, it looked like you're the owner, but on the paper here it doesn't say that you're the owner.'"
Cabrera also started to renovate the home, shelling out thousands of dollars.
"I put some hard work into the house and I was doing it because I thought it was my house."
But Cabrera isn't alone.
Court paperwork shows that state police started investigating Beato and have issued search warrants for his real estate records.
The Greater Hazleton Association of Realtors released a statement on the investigation saying, "At this time, we're aware of approximately 50 complaints. While we sympathize with these consumers, the association has limited ability to act in this type of criminal activity."
Edward Olexa is representing Cabrera and at least four other people who say they were duped by Beato.
They all say they got bogus documents and paid in cash.
"We haven't seen this before. We think it's a story that will gain national attention, or it should," said Olexa.
Back in 2009, Beato ran for Hazleton city council saying he wanted to give a voice to the Dominican population in the city.
He did not win and now, it's people in the Dominican community who say they've been fooled by Beato.
Felix Cabrera says he can't believe he was misled by someone he thought was a friend and now he doesn't know what is going to happen to the home he thought was his.
"I don't want to just go to work and something comes out and my family is on the street."
Cabrera is still living in the home, for now.
Newswatch 16 tried to get Ignacio Beato's side of the story, but he didn't return our calls and no one was at his home.
Beato has not been charged with any crime at this time.