A former HGTV star has been sentenced to four years in prison and ordered to pay nearly $10 million in restitution for defrauding 11 people, Santa Clara County prosecutors announced.
Charles “Todd” Hill, the 58-year-old star of the show “Flip It to Win It,” was held in jail following his sentencing, according to the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office.
The concept for Hill's show was that he would buy dilapidated homes, fix them up and sell them for a profit, but prosecutors say he spent millions on expensive renovations, laundered the profits and pocketed millions of dollars in fraudulent proceeds.
Hill was indicted in November 2019 after a countywide investigation found he had defrauded multiple victims. In 2023, Hill was convicted of multiple fraud schemes and theft against all victims and pleaded guilty to aggravated white collar crime. Hill was ordered to pay restitution in excess of $9.4 million and serve 10 years probation.
“Flip It to Win It” is a reality TV show that aired for one season on HGTV in 2014. It follows five teams of professional property flippers as they compete to buy abandoned properties, then restore and resell them. (HGTV, via YouTube)
Evidence showed Hill laundered the money through rental apartments in San Francisco, as well as hotels, vacations and luxury cars. He was also found to have misappropriated construction funds for personal use.
Prosecutors said Hill created a Ponzi scheme to raise money from investors to buy homes and fund a lavish lifestyle. To cover up his crimes, he created fake balance sheets and used false information to obtain loans.
According to the district attorney's office, an investor inspected a home he had spent $250,000 on renovating only to find it had little value.
The victims said they are still suffering financial and professional harm from Hill's scheme.
“Some see the huge amounts of money flowing into Silicon Valley real estate as a business opportunity,” District Attorney Jeff Rosen said in a statement. “Unfortunately, some see it as an opportunity to commit crimes, and we intend to hold them accountable.”