LEE COUNTY, Fla. - One of the alleged ring leaders of a major mortgage fraud scheme in Southwest Florida has been tracked down in Costa Rica.

The company, Alternative Home Financing was run by Erich Heckler.

Heckler allegedly fled Fort Myers, leaving behind 61 felony charges and a host of victims homeless and broke.

Heckler was finally caught on Friday. He was arrested in September of 2007, but got out on bond.

In May of 2008, he failed to show up to a court appearance. He's been in Costa Rica the entire time.

After one year and and three months, Erich Heckler is in custody... again. He's accused of scamming hopeful homeowners out of 3.8 million dollars. WINK News interviewed several victims years ago.

One said, "I feel scammed and it doesn't feel good knowing that the people that took away your money got away with it."

Friday, Heckler was caught by private investigator, John Moritz. Moritz said he showed up on his radar by mistake.

"I was down in Costa Rica on another case and I got approached by some individuals there that I know," Moritz said. "They approached me and said - can you check this guy out for us?"

That guy, was 38-year-old Erich Heckler.

Moritz said, "He was trying to get some investors to invest in a teak - a plantation that he didn't own."

It's similar to what he allegedly did in Lee County a couple of years ago. Heckler, along with others, is accused of leasing properties to people to repair their credit score, and then offering them the option to buy the properties at the end of a twelve month period. The only problem - the leasing company kept the rent for themselves, didn't make the mortgage payments, sending the homes into foreclosure... leaving victims without roofs over their heads.

Another victim said, "These guys have $30,000 belonging to us. They have all the rent payments that we can prove we have made."

Moritz said once he was on the job in Costa Rica, it was pretty easy.

"I was a little surprised that he was traveling under his own name."

Moritz said it's even more shocking that he got out on a $100,000 bond.

"This is one of the main reasons that the United States economy is in the shape it's in - is mortgage fraud," Moritz said.

"I want them to pay," one victim said. "I want them to go to jail."

Heckler is in custody in Costa Rica waiting to be extradited back to Lee County.