Three strikes for mortgage scam?

Life in prison for a white collar scam almost never happens - nor should it. But the case of Timothy Barnett may be the exception to the rule. As chronicled in the LAT, Barnett spent five years in prison for a scam in which he conned South L.A. homeowners out of tens of thousands of dollars. Now, he's at it again, and, if convicted, the DA's office wants to put this guy away for good. Barnett is charged with 23 felonies for allegedly tricking five people into unknowingly granting him title to their homes.

By the time prosecutors began looking at Barnett again, he had bought a $3.1-million home in Orange County and three Mercedes-Benz vehicles. As in his first case, prosecutors said, Barnett targeted older African Americans, mostly in South Los Angeles. They said he used his Christian faith -- praying with victims and passing out business cards that described him as a "visionary" -- to win their trust. Barnett told victims that he learned about their financial troubles from public records.

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Barnett received his first two strikes -- both for residential burglary -- in 1997. Burglary is one of the dozens of serious or violent crimes that are considered strikes under state law. In that case, Barnett was accused of talking his way into people's homes, offering to refinance their mortgages, and diverting property or loan proceeds to himself. Prosecutors had charged him with burglary because he met with his victims in their homes. Under California law, a person can be convicted of residential burglary for entering someone's house with the intent to commit a felony, even if he or she enters with the homeowner's permission.