What did Charles “Todd” Hill do? Former HGTV Reality star sentenced to jail over multi-million dollar scams

On Tuesday, April 16, former reality show star Charles “Todd” Hill was sentenced to four years in prison after being convicted of real estate and financial fraud worth nearly $10 million.

Charles “Todd” Hill, who is from Los-Gatos, was asked by the court to return the scammed money to his 11 victims, as per the District Attorney’s (DA) Office of Santa Clara County. The source also mentioned that he was first indicted in November 2019 following a DA investigation.

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Exploring the charges against Charles “Todd” Hill

Earlier this week, the former HGTV star was sentenced to jail for four years and was asked to pay back $9,402,678.43 in restitution to nearly a dozen victims for conning them in real estate finances.

The 58-year-old Charles “Todd” Hill was part of the first season of the HGTV reality series Flit It and Win It in 2014 which revolved around purchasing damaged homes, renovating them, and selling them for a profit.

However, Hill allegedly misused the opportunity and spent millions of dollars on “overbudget remodels, laundered profits, and pocketed” the money, thus committing real estate and financial scams, according to the press release on the Santa Clara District Attorney’s office website. In this regard, District Attorney Jeff Rosen overseeing the case noted—

“Some see the huge amount of money in Silicon Valley real estate as a business opportunity. Others, unfortunately, see it as a criminal opportunity – and we will hold those people strictly accountable.”

First indicted in November 2019, Charles was convicted in September 2023 of committing multiple frauds against 11 individuals, including a Ponzi scheme, which an investigation by the District Attorney’s office showed was plotted before he joined the reality show.

Currently, he has been charged and sentenced with several felonies including grand theft against all victims and aggravated white-collar enhancements, after pleading guilty.

Based on the evidence presented in court, Charles 'Todd' Hill allegedly rented a beautiful flat in San Francisco and used the laundered money to purchase opulent vacations, high-end hotels, and exotic cars for himself.

He reportedly stole construction money for his personal use and cheated an investor by using his money to pay for his lifestyle rather than buying properties. He also used false balance sheets and obtained loans using fake information to hide his crimes.

Most of his victims (all from the Bay Area) appeared before the court and provided their testimonies about financial, professional, and personal losses.

Notably, during his time on Flip It and Win It, Hill was often dubbed “Mr. Flip It” and promised to donate a part of his profits to over 100 elementary schools in the Bay Area.

Meanwhile, The Daily Beast reported that a few months after the reality show aired, one of his investors Max Keech filed a civil lawsuit against Charles “Todd” claiming the latter “stiffed him out of money meant for renovations.”

The investor also alleged that he paid for “90 percent” of Hill’s “flipping” business, but the money he spent for “work” was “never performed.” Back then, Charles “Todd” Hill denied all the accusations. It remains unclear what happened whether the suit was ever settled or it was ongoing.

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Besides spending four years in prison and paying back his victims, Charles “Todd” Hill will need to serve a decade in probation. According to San Francisco Gate, he is currently being held and will be moved to Elmwood Men's Facility in Milpitas.