Geno Rauso thought he was being clever when he convinced various homeowners to sign their properties over to him, charging them rent and stuffing them with tenants while defrauding mortgage companies. He's now been charged with enough counts of mortgage fraud to be put behind bars for 247 years.

From the story:

“He walks right up to the (legal) line and doesn’t cross it,” is how county Detective Thomas Worrilow described Rauso’s dealing in a 2008 interview.

This was just a way of saying the county just didn't have the time and resources to bring a provable case against him in court. The feds took the time to build their case - Geno gave them a lot to work with - and think otherwise.

My earlier post on Geno's bust here