James Reavis: The True Crime Story and Key Facts
James Reavis: American forger and fraudster (1843–1914). The documented story, timeline and key facts of the case.
James Addison Reavis, later using the name James Addison Peralta-Reavis, the so-called Baron of Arizona, was an American forger and fraudster. He is best known in association with the Peralta land grant, also known as the Barony of Arizona, a pair of fraudulent land claims, which if certified, would have granted him ownership of over 18,600 square miles (48,200 km2) of land in central Arizona Territory and western New Mexico Territory. During the course of the fraud, Reavis collected an estimated US$5.3 million in cash and promissory notes through the sale of quitclaims and proposed investment plans.
Why the case is remembered
The James Reavis story remains one of the most discussed entries in true-crime history, covered in documentaries, podcasts and books. The summary above follows the publicly documented record.
Text adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Facts reflect the documented public record.
Frequently asked questions
Who is James Reavis?
James Addison Reavis, later using the name James Addison Peralta-Reavis, the so-called Baron of Arizona, was an American forger and fraudster. He is best known in association with the Peralta land grant, also known as the Barony of Arizona, a pair of fraudulent land claims, which.
Why is the James Reavis case famous?
It is one of the most documented fraudster cases, widely covered by true-crime media.
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