After being reported missing by his daughter on Dec. 10, 67-year-old retired boxing legend Thomas “Hitman” Hearns, accompanied by his son, sat down for an interview by Michigan reporter Charlie LeDuff on Enjoyer.com. The shocker wasn’t that his daughter Natasha Hearns-Barnes thought he was missing, or that he had been living with his son Thomas “Tommy Jr.” Hearns II, but that years ago Hearns, who has four children, apparently had fallen victim to mortgage fraud and he seemingly knew nothing about it until now.
Home Drama
Hearns reportedly is struggling with cognitive decline and had not been seen publicly for some time after facing foreclosure and eviction from his Southfield, Michigan, estate.
Hearns-Barnes showed LeDuff evidence that her father had been living in poor conditions at his 8,700-square-foot Southfield home, a Detroit suburb.
Hearns Jr. initially ignored LeDuff’s requests for comment on three occasions before the reporter publicly characterized Hearns’ disappearance as a missing persons case on Dec. 10.
A follow-up report later included both father and son.
In a sit-down interview with reporter LeDuff, “Hitman” Hearns was confronted with shocking details about his missing home. “You know your house is gone? Sold? Tax man took it? Did you know that?” LeDuff asked, explaining that Hearns appeared to be a victim of fraud.
According to paperwork provided by LeDuff, Hearns paid off his mortgage. And, LeDuff detailed that a man named Jack Wolfe issued Hearns a $90,000 mortgage in 2014 and even set up his business papers, yet allegedly foreclosed on the home within 10 months, outside the legal period. Citibank, not Wolfe, was the primary creditor. Wolfe, currently in state prison for property theft and forgery, never owned the house but sold it to another entity and tried to set up a land contract on a home Hearns already owned. “How are you doing paying for a house that you’re already paying on?” LeDuff asked, highlighting the tangled mess that left the boxing legend fighting for his property.
According to LeDuff, Wolfe is in prison for mortgage fraud. When question by LeDuff, Junior, said anything concerning the house, the various businesses apparently set up by Wolfe in Hearns’ name, was “a private family matter.” During the interview, the son leans over to his father to tell the reporter they already have a lawyer. LeDuff also reveals at one point the home was placed in the name of Junior.
Th timeline of the home’s ownership, the alleged mortgage fraud, and Herne’s own residency appears to be muddled. The boxing legend is no longer living in his Southfield estate but reportedly with his Junior, even though during the interview it was revealed that Hearns’ mail was going to Hearns-Barnes’ residence.
The former eight-time world champion, who underwent hip replacement surgery on July 9, told LeDuff that he earned most of his money during his fighting days, only for people like Wolfe to later weasel it away.
Neither Hearns recognized BMW Real Property Associates, the company that ultimately received the deed to the house. Foreclosure documents indicate that Hearns owed approximately $100,000 in unpaid property taxes, and the house was sold for $226,000. Under Michigan law, Hearns was entitled to roughly $126,000, the surplus remaining after the tax debt was satisfied, but the legal window to claim those funds has since closed. Interest and penalties on the unpaid taxes eventually exceeded the original balance, compounding the debt. Based on its size and location, the property was likely worth at least $500,000.
The International Boxing Hall of Famer and Detroit icon, a champion across multiple weight classes, began facing serious financial hardship in the early 2010s. In April 2010, the Detroit Free Press reported that Hearns owed substantial back taxes and was forced to auction off memorabilia worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, including the silk robe he wore against Sugar Ray Leonard, in order to stay afloat.
The reporter offered Hearns a lawyer to investigate the matter. At the end of the interview, Hearns, who has difficulty speaking, said he would agree to the help. But there is no indication if the fractured Hearns family will challenge the sale of his home.