ST. LOUIS — Two men who officials said posed as wealthy real estate investors have been charged with 25 counts of stealing or other felonies.

St. Louis prosecutors said that Brian Stoker, 25, and Malcolm Aldrich, 54, stole property and rent money from investors who were looking to sell troubled real estate.

Stoker was arrested last week and has posted bond. Aldrich remained at large.

Beginning in February 2007, Brian Stoker Enterprises agreed to buy rental properties from desperate owners but then never followed through on the sales contracts, according to court documents.

Meanwhile, Stoker and Aldrich took control of properties, the charges say, collected rent from tenants but never paid utility or mortgage bills.

At least three owners sued Stoker to regain control of their buildings. In some cases, they said rental units were uninhabitable by the time they got the keys back.

One, Dr. Abid Nisar, said he lost nearly $200,000. He has had to pay overdue bills and repair damage he blamed on Stoker. "I hope that he is put behind bars and he cannot harm anyone else," Nisar said.

In a written response to a reporter, Stoker said: "This arrest and charges are completely unfounded and unjustified. All complainants have settled with me...."

According to court documents, Aldrich was on probation for stealing in Missouri when he met Stoker in Hannibal, Mo., and they began managing properties together. Stoker moved to St. Louis, became an independent real estate agent and started his own investment company.

Aldrich, who used many aliases, including "Morris Harris" and "Maurice," joined the scheme, the documents say. The two told stories about their wealth and drove expensive cars while courting potential sellers.

Stoker, of the 1600 block of Taylor Road in O'Fallon, Ill., and Aldrich, of the 2700 block of Darla Court in Jennings, were each charged Nov. 3 with stealing over $500, deceptive business practice and forgery. A judge set bail for each at $150,000.