Cobb County Man John Harris gets 40 years in jail after stealing, selling homes

A Cobb County man is facing 40 years in prison for stealing homes after a GA Daily News investigation.

A judge told John Harris Friday he preyed on good people by stealing homes and then leasing them to tenants.

Judge Adele Grubbs handed down a punishment for John Harris that Channel 2's Craig Lucie shared with two of his many victims.

"He was sentenced to 40 years. What do you think about that?" Lucie asked Jennifer O'Hara.

"Oh my God that is incredible. That is wonderful," she responded.

O'Hara contacted Lucie after his first story with Chiquella White.

White was the first woman he interviewed about John Harris in October 2011.

Harris's company at the time was New Life Granted and Chiquella White knew they were doing something illegal.

"You know I'm angry, and I'm sad too. I liked the house," White told Lucie at the time in tears.

Following that Oct. 7 interview, investigators raided New Life Granted's offices a week later.

They confirmed what White and Harris' other victims were telling GA Daily News.

They said they were changing locks and placing tenant after tenant in dozens of stolen, foreclosed homes.

"I started seeing the people coming, and I'm like wow," White told Lucie about her time during Harris' trial.

Last week, a jury convicted Harris on 34-counts of racketeering and theft.

Knowing he'll be locked up for up to 40 years brings White and his other victims some relief.

"This chapter is closed. Now I can open the book and go to a new chapter and do something else. I feel better I can sleep at night," White told Lucie.