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Two former mortgage company principals indicted
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Man indicted in allegations of fraud in two apartment complexes
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Lake Forest (CA) man indicted in ID Theft case
2008-04-29 04:50:00 In the following press release United States Attorney Karen P. Hewitt announced the indictment and arrest of Micah Bachman, also known as Tyler Jefferies, of Lake Forest, California, for bank fraud, false statements on loan applications, false use of a social security account number, money laundering, false statements to a federal officer, and aggravated identity theft. The 18-count indictment was handed up by a federal grand jury sitting in San Diego on March 11, 2008. Mr. Bachman was arrested today, pursuant to a bench warrant issued in connection with the indictment. According to the indictment, Mr. Bachman created the alter ego of “Tyler Jefferies” and over time built a credit profile for that identity based upon a social security number stolen from a child in Kentucky. Among other things, the indictment alleges that Mr. Bachman created a fake New Mexico driver license for Jefferies and used it to obtain valid driver’s licenses for Jefferies in Utah and Calif...
Concord (CA) woman charges with mortgage fraud
2008-04-29 04:27:00 In the following press release United States Attorney Joseph P. Russoniello announced that Cheryl Hernandez Camus of Concord, California made her initial appearance in federal court in San Francisco on April 22, 2008 before United States Magistrate Judge James Larson. A federal grand jury in San Francisco had previously indicted Ms. Camus on April 8, 2008 on charges of mail and wire fraud in connection with a Ponzi scheme. Ms. Camus is scheduled for her next appearance in federal court in San Francisco on April 29, 2008 before United States Magistrate Judge James Larson and on May 5, 2008 before United States District Judge Marilyn Hall Patel. According to the indictment, Ms. Camus, 36, is alleged to have made a number of misrepresentations about a money lending investment, where she promised fixed returns and the return of the principle investment within a fixed period of time. The indictment alleges that Ms. Camus made one or more of the following material false representations ...
Three Ohio men indicted in mortgage fraud
2008-04-28 06:20:00 In the following press release James A. Zerhusen, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky announced that three Ohio residents were indicted today for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The indictment alleges that William R. Bowling Jr., 46, of Cincinnati, Georgia Bowling, 64, of Franklin, and Gregg E. Russell, 54, of Middletown devised a complicated scheme to defraud Countrywide Home Loans. The Indictment alleges that William Bowling Jr., the buyer/borrower, purchased 24 investment properties in Kettering, Ohio and that the paperwork submitted to the lender, Countrywide Home Loans, represented that the down-payment was coming from Bowling Jr. The 24 purchases each originated and were processed through Countrywide Home Loan’s office in Ft. Mitchell, Ky. The Indictment also alleges that Georgia Bowling, who acted as the real estate agent for Bowling Jr., caused for false representations regarding alleged repair-work to be made on the loan documents t...
The Links: Indictments, Endorsements, And OJ
2008-03-25 05:35:00 Ready, set, go.Chuck Hagel says he's not ready to endorse John McCain.Detroit's mayor is indicted.The push for a superdelegate mini-convention grows.The US death toll in Iraq has reached 4,000.Geraldine Ferraro is still talking.What a small world it is.Both Clinton and Obama have done some embellishing.Dan Balz lists five ways Richardson helps Obama.The Clinton campaign ended February in the red.What a campaign--the OJ verdict is mentioned on the trail.Today was the last day to register for PA's primary.A record number of people have reportedly registered.Jonathan Martin looks at the McCain-Lieberman relationship.Is Fred Thompson headed back to Hollywood?'Horton' reigns at the weekend box office again.How does your bracket look?This day in history: the Exxon Valdez ran aground in 1989.
By: Political Realm
Indictments: U.S. official spied for China
2008-02-11 18:58:00 At least one U.S. official has been indicted on espionage-related charges involving efforts to provide secret military technology to China, officials close to the case said. Chinese citizens also are to be charged in the case, the sources said. The Associated Press reported that at least four Chinese citizens were named in the indictments. According to the AP, the five are to be charged with illegally smuggling out information from places such as research facilities, labs or universities that had access to the secret material. The indictments, returned by federal grand juries in Virginia and California, remain under seal, so officials would not provide further details. I cannot stress this enough. Those who spy against this country for foreign nations should be drug out into the street and shot like the traitors that they are. I have zero tolerance for people who conspire against our nation and against the safety, security, and prosperity of my home. I treat this natio...
INDICTMENTS IN TOXIC PET FOOD CASE
2008-02-10 13:16:00 Contaminated pet food caused pet illnesses and deaths last yearTwo Chinese nationals and the businesses they operate, along with a U.S. company and its president and chief executive officer, have been indicted by a federal grand jury in separate but related cases for their roles in a scheme to import products purported to be wheat gluten into the United States that were contaminated with melamine.The products were used to make pet food.Xuzhou Anying Biologic Technology Development Co., LTD. (XAC), a Chinese firm that processes and exports plant proteins to the United States; Mao Linzhun, a Chinese national who is the owner and manager of XAC; Suzhou Textiles, Silk, Light Industrial Products, Arts and Crafts I/E Co. LTD. (SSC), a Chinese export broker that exports products from China to the United States; and Chen Zhen Hao, president of SSC and a Chinese national were charged in a 26-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo.Also indicted were ChemNutra, In...
By: ATYOURSERVICE
FDA Investigation Leads to Several Indictments for Importing Contaminated I
2008-02-07 10:54:00 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Office of Criminal Investigations announced that two Chinese nationals and the businesses they operate, along with a U.S. company and its president and chief executive officer, were indicted by a federal grand jury today in separate but related cases. The indictments are for their roles in a scheme to import products purported to be wheat gluten into the United States that were contaminated with melamine. These products were used to make pet food. Xuzhou Anying Biologic Technology Development Co., LTD. (XAC), a Chinese firm that processes and exports plant proteins to the United States; Mao Linzhun, a Chinese national who is the owner and manager of XAC; Suzhou Textiles, Silk, Light Industrial Products, Arts and Crafts I/E Co. LTD. (SSC), a Chinese export broker that exports products from China to the United States; and Chen Zhen Hao, president of SSC and a Chinese national were charged in a 26-count indictment returned by a federal gr...
By: Cats Only Blog
Tucson Criminal Indictments
2008-02-02 00:00:00 Tucson criminal indictment records database - Access Tucson criminal indictment records database now! You could conduct an exhaustive nationwide criminal indictment record search in Tucson from your entire network of specialized databases to find the case number, charge, offense, arrest, file, disposition and sentencing of case. Order a nationwide criminal records search in Tucson now to get more information on the individual.
By: Shareware
Swaziland Criminal Indictments
2008-01-18 00:00:00 Swaziland criminal indictment records database - Access Swaziland criminal indictment records database now! You could conduct an exhaustive nationwide criminal indictment record search in Swaziland from your entire network of specialized databases to find the case number, charge, offense, arrest, file, disposition and sentencing of case. Order a nationwide criminal records search in Swaziland now to get more information on the individual.
By: Shareware
Niue Criminal Indictments
2008-01-16 00:00:00 Niue criminal indictment records database - Access Niue criminal indictment records database now! You could conduct an exhaustive nationwide criminal indictment record search in Niue from your entire network of specialized databases to find the case number, charge, offense, arrest, file, disposition and sentencing of case. Order a nationwide criminal records search in Niue now to get more information on the individual.
By: Shareware
Slovakia Criminal Indictments
2008-01-14 00:00:00 Slovakia criminal indictment records database - Access Slovakia criminal indictment records database now! You could conduct an exhaustive nationwide criminal indictment record search in Slovakia from your entire network of specialized databases to find the case number, charge, offense, arrest, file, disposition and sentencing of case. Order a nationwide criminal records search in Slovakia now to get more information on the individual.
By: Shareware
Louisiana Criminal Indictments
2008-01-04 00:00:00 Louisiana criminal indictment records database - Access Louisiana criminal indictment records database now! You could conduct an exhaustive nationwide criminal indictment record search in Louisiana from your entire network of specialized databases to find the case number, charge, offense, arrest, file, disposition and sentencing of case. Order a nationwide criminal records search in Louisiana now to get more information on the individual.
By: Shareware
Four indicted in ID Theft scheme - used deceased womans ID to obtain mortga
2007-11-30 01:02:00 In the following press release Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown, joined by Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Social Security Administration’s Office of Inspector General Edward J. Ryan and New York State Department of Motor Vehicles Commissioner David J. Swarts, today announced that a federal employee has been charged with tampering with government computers to unlawfully create a social security account for an individual in the country illegally as part of a mortgage fraud scheme in which the employee and three other individuals artificially inflated the price of a Queens house by “flipping” the property before stealing the personal identity of a dead Queens woman to fraudulently take out nearly $500,000 in mortgage loans on the property. District Attorney Brown said, “Mortgage fraud and identity fraud are two of the fastest growing white-collar crimes in the country today, costing billions of dolla...
Another disbarred NY attorney indicted, accued of stealing escrow frauds
2007-11-30 00:56:00 In the following press release Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown announced today that two attorneys have been charged separately with looting their respective escrow accounts and failing to return money they had been holding for clients. District Attorney Brown said, “According to the charges, the defendants not only violated the trust that their clients placed in them but they let down the entire legal system which counts on members of the bar to conduct themselves in an ethical matter. Each of the attorneys has been disbarred, and each now faces serious criminal charges.” District Attorney Brown identified the defendants as Arelia Taveras, 46, presently of Bloomington , Minnesota , and another person in a non Mortgage/Real Estate related matter. Taveras, who is accused of stealing a total of $99,142 from four clients, is charged with three counts of third-degree grand larceny, second-degree forgery, first-degree offering a false instrument for filing and ...
Another disbarred NY attorney indicted, accused of stealing escrow frauds
2007-11-30 00:56:00 In the following press release Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown announced today that two attorneys have been charged separately with looting their respective escrow accounts and failing to return money they had been holding for clients.District Attorney Brown said, “According to the charges, the defendants not only violated the trust that their clients placed in them but they let down the entire legal system which counts on members of the bar to conduct themselves in an ethical matter. Each of the attorneys has been disbarred, and each now faces serious criminal charges.”District Attorney Brown identified the defendants as Arelia Taveras, 46, presently of Bloomington , Minnesota , and another person in a non Mortgage/Real Estate related matter. Taveras, who is accused of stealing a total of $99,142 from four clients, is charged with three counts of third-degree grand larceny, second-degree forgery, first-degree offering a false instrument for filing and scheme t...
Hennepin County (MN) man charged in mortgage fraud allegations
2007-11-25 04:38:00 The following entry is reproduced from an article written by Steve Brandt for the Star Tribune. A Minneapolis man sentenced on a federal mortgage fraud charge in 2001 now faces Hennepin County charges involving at least $1.2 million in mortgages that stretched from Bloomington to Blaine. Larry D. Maxwell (pictured below), 52, was charged Monday with 10 counts in the alleged mortgage fraud, including racketeering. Also charged with nine counts of forgery, identity theft and theft by swindle was Realty Executive Advantage Plus Group. The real estate brokerage was operated from Maxwell’s north Minneapolis riverfront condo. Larry Reed, Maxwell’s attorney, said that his client will plead not guilty. “Because Mr. Maxwell made a mistake in the past, they decided to go after him. He hasn’t done anything improper,” said Reed, who represented Maxwell in his federal case and said he had also bought a house from him. The case is the fourth alleged mortgage f...
Three men indicted in Tennessee mortgage fraud allegations
2007-11-25 03:50:00 In the following press release on November 16, 2007, the Office of U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee, announced that Harold Stafford, Miles Jackson Black and Jeffrey Dunn Hathcock were indicted by a federal grand jury on Wednesday for conspiracy, wire fraud and bank fraud. In addition, Harold Stafford was charged with money laundering. The fifty-one count indictment alleges that from January 2005 through October 21, 2005, Stafford, Black and Hathcock engaged in a mortgage fraud scheme that involved the purchase of approximately twenty-two luxury homes in Hendersonville and Gallatin by unqualified straw buyers. Stafford, Black and Hathcock caused the submission to mortgage lenders of false mortgage loan applications that overstated the straw buyers’ income, falsely stated that the homes would be the straw buyers’ primary residences, and failed to disclose other recent home purchases by the same straw buyers. If convicted, Stafford, Black and Hathcock e...
Big Head Barry and the Indictments
2007-11-16 22:00:00 Well the Feds finally came down on Big Head Barry with four counts of perjury, one count of obstruction of justice and surprisingly with all my hatred of the oversized dome in recent years; I met the news with apathy. I came to the realization near the end of the past season, a season where I did not watch one game of for the first time possibly ever, that aside for maybe Craig Biggio and David Eckstein, I’m pretty sure everyone else is on something. There is a poll right now on ESPN.com asking what should be done with the home run record with options of nothing, asterisk, almost fifty percent of the almost 100,000 responses said they should be stricken from the record books completely.Of course that will never happen and the best anyone can ask for is an asterisk which No Back Bone Bud Selig will be happy to comply. For me I think it should go further and after baseball implements an Olympics style drug testing, complete with B samples for future tests that haven’t been invente...
Man pleads guilty over failed mortgage business
2007-11-15 01:14:00 In the following press release Martin C. Carlson, Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, announced today that his Office has charged the Berks County man at the center of a multi-million-dollar, failed mortgage business with Mail Fraud and that he has agreed to plead guilty to the charge. WESLEY A. SNYDER, age 71, of Oley, Pennsylvania, is charged in a one count Information filed in U.S. District Court Harrisburg today with Mail Fraud Affecting a Financial Institution, 18 U.S.C. § 1341. The Information alleges that between 1988 and September of 2007 SNYDER defrauded more than 800 individuals throughout Central and Eastern Pennsylvania via his “Wrap Around, Equity Slide Down Discount” Mortgage Program and his “Mortgage Participation” Investment Program. The charge carries a potential penalty of 30 years imprisonment and $1,000,000 fine. SNYDER has agreed to plead guilty to the charge pursuant to a written plea agreement...
Disbarred NY attorney indicted, accued of stealing deposit
2007-11-15 01:10:00 In the following press release the Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice announced today that Joseph Levine, a 59-year-old recently disbarred attorney from Hewlett, has been arrested and charged with stealing more than $300,000 from two clients he was hired to represent in legal matters during the past year. Mr. Levine is facing felony counts of Grand Larceny in the Second and Third Degrees, and two counts of Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument in the Second Degree. “Lawyers are hired into positions of trust, often during a difficult time of someone’s life,” said Rice. “The betrayal of that trust is something my administration takes very seriously and will continue to investigate and prosecute aggressively.” Rice said that in December of 2006, the defendant counseled a Rockville Centre woman to settle a personal injury lawsuit that awarded his client $300,000. On December 27, 2006, Mr. Levine traveled to the Pennsylvania office of the...
FBI in Los Angeles arrest four in large scale HUD fraud
2007-11-09 20:15:00 In the following press release the FBI in Los Angeles announced that Federal agents this morning (11/9/07) arrested four officers with a now-defunct Inland Empire mortgage lender on charges of defrauding the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development and private lenders by fraudulently obtaining federally insured loans and selling those notes to private lenders. The defendants arrested today are: Richard Elroy Giddens , 67, of Riverside; John Richard Varner , 54, of Hesperia; Stephen Ray Harper , 50, of Ontario; and Katherine Ann Kilmer , 52, of Hesperia. A seven-count indictment unsealed today charges the four arrestees and two others with conspiracy, bank fraud and tax violations. The scheme, which ran from 1997 until 2002, was run out the Mortgage One Corporation, which was based in Hesperia, and M-1 Capital Corporation, which was based in Riverside and Rancho Cucamonga. The two companies were in the business of approving, funding and then selling home...
8 defendants plead guilty in Minneapolis fraud scheme
2007-11-07 21:39:00 In the following press release the FBI in Minneapolis announced that the long-time Minnesota home builder, Parish Marketing and Development Corporation (PMDC), and its owners, pleaded guilty in federal court today to conspiring to commit mortgage fraud and money laundering charges arising from their scheme involving approximately 200 residences and approximately $100 million in loan proceeds. PMDC and its owners acknowledged obtaining more than $25 million for PMDC from the scheme. PMDC, its owners, Michael Alan Parish, 62, and his wife, Ardith Ann Parish, 61, and a PMDC agent, Christopher David Troup, 39, all of Eagan, appeared before Judge Ann D. Montgomery and pleaded guilty to participating in the conspiracy. According to their pleas, all four defendants acknowledged participating in the mortgage fraud scheme, by which PMDC utilized “straw buyers” to purchase approximately 200 properties built by PMDC, primarily in the New Prague, New Market and Lonsdale area. In...
Cuyahogo County man indicted in contruction loan fraud allegations (2 of 2)
2007-11-07 21:12:00 In the following press release Cuyahoga County (Ohio) Prosecutor Bill Mason (pictured left) announced the indictment of George Michaels [who is accused of] obtaining $200,000 in fraudulent building contract loans for two houses worth almost $1 million in North Royalton. The work was never completed, leaving the victims to find another builder to finish construction. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, a member of the Mortgage Fraud/Predatory Lending Task Force, conducted the investigations with the Prosecutor’s Office. “The pervasive fraud—whether mortgage fraud or theft—-in the real estate market has been one of the big factors in our high foreclosure rate. These thieves are affecting not just our neighborhoods with blight and abandoned houses but our entire economy,” said Prosecutor Bill Mason. “Our county is making a concerted effort to tackle a mortgage industry gone awry, and these indictments add to this chorus of aggressively combating th...
Indictments announced in case of former CEO who is still on the run
2007-11-07 20:36:00 The DOJ and FBI in Oakland, CA announced the Edward Batayeh former CEO of CHL Mortgage Group (pictured below) has now been indicted in mortgage fraud allegations and is still on the run, 1 years after evading arrest by the FBI. WantedClick here for the full article. The FBI warns that Bateyah should be considered armed and dangerous.
St Louis area mortgage broker indicted in fraud allegations
2007-11-07 20:25:00 In the following press release the FBI in St Louis MO announced that Christopher Rakel was charged in a two-count indictment alleging a far-ranging scheme to defraud banks and other mortgage lenders and money laundering, the announcement was delivered by United States Attorney Catherine L. Hanaway. “Mortgage fraud is, unfortunately, rampant in our community,” said Hanaway. “In addition to the lenders duped in this scheme, the neighborhoods in which these homes are situated must struggle with the vacant and dilapidated housing stock that is the unfortunate by-product of this type of crime. This indictment shows the continuing commitment of my office to fight mortgage fraud through prosecution and aggressive pursuit of restitution for its many victims.” According to the indictment, Rakel, a mortgage broker with Tri-State Mortgage, facilitated the purchase of dozens of fraudulent real estate transactions, primarily in South St. Louis, during 2005 and 2006. R...
Former police officer indicted in mortgage fraud allegations
2007-11-07 18:16:00 In the following press release Wayne County (MI) Prosecutor Kim Worthy announced that over the course of its first two years investigating property scams, the Wayne County Deed Fraud Task Force has arrested and convicted quite a few bold individuals for ripping off homeowners and mortgage companies, but few have been as bold – or as foolish – as D’Clarence Reynolds, according to Task Force officials. Investigators for the Task Force say Reynolds, 27, who last year had been terminated by the Detroit Police Department in June 2006, allegedly forged the signature of Wayne County Clerk Cathy Garrett on a form that indicated he was still an employee with the city. The letter was dated October 16, 2006, nearly two months after his termination. With that forged document in hand, Reynolds successfully obtained an $80,000 loan from Long Beach Mortgage to purchase a home located at 7389 Warwick in the city of Detroit. “It’s hard to believe that anyone &nd...
Two indicted in ID Theft allegations
2007-11-07 18:00:00 In the following press release it was announced that Investigators from the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Real Estate Fraud Prosecution Unit arrested Laura Anderson-Mota, 41, and German Moreno-Ledesma, 43, both of Downey. Felony charges of PC 470, Forgery and PC 115, Filing a False Instrument were filed against Anderson-Mota and Moreno-Ledesma. On March 4, 2005, the victim attempted to purchase a car in the City of South Gate. She soon discovered that her identity had been used to purchase a duplex in the 8900 block of Date Street in the City of Fontana. The victim filed a crime report with the Huntington Park Police Department. The crime report was then forwarded to the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Real Estate Fraud Prosecution Unit. Both Mota and Ledesma were transported and booked at the Sheriff’s West Valley Detention Center, in Rancho Cucamonga on $500,000 bail for each of them. Resources: Press Release
Phoenix man indicted in fraud charges
2007-10-23 22:41:00 In the following press release Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas announced that Jeffrey Allen Herald (DOB 6/26/58) of Phoenix has been indicted on three counts related to providing unlicensed legal and mortgage loan services to victim clients. Herald was indicted on two counts of Fraudulent Schemes and Artifices, a class 2 felony, and one count of Theft, a class 2 felony. The indictment contains nine different aliases for the defendant. It is alleged that between February 1, 2005 and October 1, 2007, Herald presented himself as either an attorney or a mortgage loan originator to as many as 21 different clients and perhaps more. The total dollar loss incurred to these clients during this period is $313,957. The victims, residents of Arizona, Florida, California, Texas, New Mexico, Washington, Hawaii and Utah, paid the defendant legal and mortgage loan fees for services that he was unable or unwilling to fulfill. The defendant billed and received “refundable” orig...
Manager of Queens mortgage company arraigned in ID Theft
2007-10-18 01:19:00 Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown today announced that the branch manager of a Jackson Heights mortgage company has been charged with stealing the personal identity of a 44-year-old Queens man to fraudulently take out $1.3 million in mortgage loans on two properties and, with the assistance of another company employee, stealing the personal identity of four other individuals to fraudulently obtain multiple credit cards in their names.District Attorney Brown said, “Identity theft is a financial plague afflicting millions of victims and costing billions of dollars in losses to consumers, business and financial institutions. In this particular case, it is alleged that the victims went to the defendants’ mortgage company to apply for mortgages and, in the process, turned over personal identifying information – including their names, date of births and social security numbers. In four instances, the victims declined to proceed with their applications, stating th...
SC woman charged with using counterfeit check at closing
2007-10-17 22:54:00 In the following press release United States Attorney for the District of South Carolina REGINALD I. LLOYD announced that BERTHA SPATES RUBIN, age 37, of Effingham, South Carolina, pled guilty in federal court to making and passing counterfeit checks. United States District Judge R. Bryan Harwell of Florence accepted the plea and will impose sentence at a later date.RUBIN used a counterfeit bank check in the amount of $135,400.00 to purchase a home. RUBIN presented the check during the closing and the attorney deposited it into his law firms’ escrow account, then distributed the closing funds and provided title to the house to RUBIN. RUBIN moved into the house but two days later the check was determined to be counterfeit. Rubin was subsequently arrested and released on bond.While out on bond, Rubin purchased a $20,000 Ford Expedition from a local car dealer using another counterfeit check. As a result, RUBIN was arrested again and had her bond revoked. Rubin remains in jail aw...
SC mortgage broker indicted in Construction Loan embezzlement accusations
2007-10-17 22:04:00 In the following press release United States Attorney for the District of South Carolina, Reginald I. Lloyd announced that on September 13, 2007 a Federal Grand Jury in Charleston, South Carolina returned a Bank Fraud Indictment against RAYMOND BARRINEAU, age 58, of Hanahan, who was charged in a 4-count Indictment with bank fraud, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1344. The indictment alleges that BARRINEAU , a mortgage broker, embezzled construction loan proceeds from an attorney trust account from December 2003 through April 2004.The maximum penalty that BARRINEAU could receive is a fine of $1,000,000 and/or imprisonment of 30 years. The case was investigated by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and has been assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Rhett DeHart of the Charleston office for prosecution .
Two indicted in Hennepin County fraud allegations
2007-10-06 06:33:00 In the following press release Hennepin County Prosecutor Mike Freeman announced that on Thursday evening (October 4, 2007), Edward Boler (Minneapolis) and Susan Newell (Minneapolis), both pictured below, were taken into the custody for their alleged involvement in a mortgage fraud scheme that was uncovered through a fire at one of the properties (5715 Knox Avenue, Brooklyn Center). Both defendants have posted bonds. The fire, January 7, 2007 at a residential home (5715 Knox Avenue, Brooklyn Center) was determined to be an arson fire. Through further investigating by the Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s Office, the Hennepin County Sheriff’s office and the Office of the Hennepin County Attorney, investigators uncovered a racketeering and real estate fraud scheme involving Boler and Newell. Through the scheme, Newell is accused of recruiting “straw buyers” to buy several homes, above the appraised value of the homes. The difference between the real value of the...
Suspended attorney and realtor charged in Queens, NY fraud allegations
2007-10-06 06:29:00 In the following press release Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown (pictured left) announced that a suspended Richmond Hill attorney and a licensed Queens Village real estate broker have been charged with selling the house out from under an elderly Jamaica, Queens, man who had been hospitalized after suffering a stroke and then repeatedly flipping the property to drive up the price. The suspended attorney is also charged in a separate real estate fraud scheme in which he fraudulently obtained the Queens house of a U.S. Army sergeant serving overseas. District Attorney Brown said, “The defendants are accused of participating in a carefully orchestrated real estate scheme that netted them hundreds of thousands of dollars in mortgage loan proceeds and involved everything from ‘straw’ buyers and ‘show’ checks to keep the unsuspecting homeowners from learning the truth – that their houses were being stolen right out from under them.” Th...
Man charged with selling homes he did not own
2007-10-02 19:02:00 In the following press release the FBI in Washington, D.C. announced that George A. Cowser pled guilty on September 27, 2007 to engaging in a fraud scheme in which he obtained money by selling or offering to sell homes he did not own in the District of Columbia, U.S. Attorney Jeffrey A. Taylor, Joseph Persichini, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Guy J. Cottrell, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Washington Division, announced today. Cowser, 60, of the 1700 block of Gales Street, N.E., entered his plea at a hearing today in U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia before the Honorable Judge James Robertson. During the plea hearing, Cowser admitted that the government had sufficient evidence to convict him of the fraud scheme and to forfeit a vehicle he had purchased with proceeds from the scheme. He also acknowledged that the government could prove that the intended loss to victims from the scheme was over $1...
Former police officer charged with ID Theft
2007-09-29 01:22:00 In the following press release State of Connecticut Division of Criminal Justice announced that MICHAEL E. DAUBERT, age 42, of Sandy Hook, was arrested today on a warrant charging him with Identity Theft in the First Degree, Larceny in the First Degree, 28 counts of Forgery in the Second Degree, and one count of Criminal Impersonation. According to the arrest warrant affidavit, Mr. Daubert, a former police officer in Bethel and Naugatuck, used the name and identifying information of a New York man to obtain a mortgage on a property that Mr. Daubert owned. The warrant states that Mr. Daubert fabricated numerous documents related to the mortgage application, including a driver’s license and bank statements. As a result of these forgeries Mr. Daubert received more than $200,000 cash from the refinancing, the warrant alleges. Identity Theft in the First Degree and Larceny in the First Degree are class B felonies, each carrying a maximum penalty of 20 years incarceration. Forge...
Man indicted in Birmingham, AL on mortgage and credit card fraud charges
2007-09-28 02:52:00 In the following press release the FBI in Birmingham, AL it was announced that Donald Moulton, Sr., 47, was indicted in the U.S. District Court for mail fraud, false statements in loan applications, aggravated identity theft, misuse and false representations of social security numbers. This indictment is announced today by U.S. Attorney Alice H. Martin, Martin Phanco, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Special Agent in Charge and Carmen S. Adams, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Special Agent in Charge. “In partnership with a new Identity Fraud Task Force you can expect to see more indictments on aggravated identity theft,” stated U.S. Attorney Alice H. Martin. From July 2003 to September 2004 Moulton engaged in a scheme to defraud American Express in connection with a corporate account he opened in the name of Magic City, Inc. In support of that application, Moulton submitted a corporate tax return purporting to document the financial condition of Magic City. That docum...
3 more indicted by Wayne County (MI) deeds fraud Task Force
2007-09-26 08:22:00 In the following press release Wayne County officials, Prosecutor Kym L. Worthy, Sheriff Warren Evans and Register of Deeds Bernard J. Youngblood announced charges today (9/24/07) against Nelson Sumpter, 42, of Pittsfield Township, Omar Sumpter, 35 of Sterling Heights and Paul Rhoads, 35, of Novi in connection with three deed fraud cases. These cases represent many hours of work by the Wayne County Deed Fraud Task Force. In all three of the cases the defendants used the same scheme. They would claim to be real estate professionals who assist homeowners in selling their property to potential investors. They induced elderly victims to give them information such as property information, personal signatures and multiple pieces of personal documents. They were able to use the information to take possession of the property without the owner’s knowledge and consent. The defendant’s later sold the property at a profit. None of the victim’s knowingly conveyed their property...
Four indicted in mortgage fraud case in Sacramento
2007-09-26 07:56:00 In the following press release from Sacramento, CA United States Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced that three defendants will appear in federal court today to face charges that they engaged in a Sacramento area mortgage fraud scheme that involved at least 19 homes with loans of more than $8 million. A federal grand jury returned an indictment last Thursday, sealed until today, charging JAMES ROY MARTIN, 36, MARIO FELLINI, III, 38, GABRIEL RICHARD VIRAMONTES, 44, and JOSEPH SALVATORE GALLO, 34, all from the Sacramento area, with bank fraud and conspiracy to launder money. In addition, MARTIN, FELLINI, and GALLO were indicted on charges of making false statements in loan applications, and MARTIN, FELLINI and VIRAMONTES were indicted on mail fraud charges. MARTIN was arrested at about 9:00 p.m. yesterday at a family member’s house, FELLINI self-surrendered to federal authorities this morning at approximately 10:00 a.m., and GALLO self-surrendered in federal court at 2:00 p.m. ...
3 indicted in Hennepin County mortgage fraud allegations
2007-09-21 07:47:00 In the following press release Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said that mortgage scams “hurt” the community and that’s why he supports the charges against three people and three companies in connection with a mortgage scam allegedly operating out of the Chaska and Chanhassen area. Freeman, along with prosecutors Emery Adoradio and Tom Fabel, partnered with the Minnesota Financial CrimesTask Force Commander Chris Omodt to announce the charges and search warrants issued for Scott Rosenlund of 10Spring Homes, Shinon Lindberg of 10Spring Homes and Celeste Skaar of New Day Capital. The scam allegedly used the good credit rating of individuals coupled with phony annual salaries and employment histories to be approved for bank loans to purchase parcels of land at inflated prices. The difference between the ‘actual’ price of the parcel and the inflated price was allegedly taken by 10Springs and used as kickbacks. The three suspects are charged with r...
Two indicted in $8.5 million mortgage fraud charges
2007-09-21 01:38:00 In the following press release Dolores Carr, the Santa Clara County (CA) District Attorney announced that on August 7, 2007, investigators from the District Attorney’s Office arrested Thien Chi Vuong, 31 and Thanh Tuyen Tran (aka Kim Tran), 30 both of San Jose on “No Bail” arrest warrants. The couple currently faces up to 12 years in prison on three felony counts including Conspiracy and Grand Theft, with aggravated white collar crime and excess taking enhancements; however, the investigation into additional victims and other alleged crimes is ongoing. Between February and December May of 2006, the couple purchased 10 single family homes in San Jose with a combined value of over $8.5 million. During the transactions Vuong acted as Tran’s agent, while failing to disclose their marriage, and fraudulently verifying Tran’s rental history claiming to be her landlord. Tran qualified for the loans by fraudulently misrepresenting her employment, income, asset...
FBI in Jackson, MS arrest mortgage broker on fraud allegations
2007-09-20 20:53:00 In the following FBI press release it was announced that Special Agents from the FBI’s Jackson Division, MS, have arrested a mortgage broker indicted on mail and wire fraud charges. FBI Agents, along with officers from the Rankin County Sheriff’s Department and the Madison Police Department arrested BRYAN “BO” BARRY, 38, of 521 Camelia Trails, Brandon, Mississippi. BARRY was indicted on a two count indictment in August by a federal grand jury. The first count charged him with violating Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343 (wire fraud). BARRY was also charged in a second count with violating Title 18, United States Code, Section 371 (conspiracy). “Mortgage fraud is not a victimless crime”, said Stephen F. Gomez, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Mississippi. “The fraud affects property values, causes property tax increases and makes it harder for legitimate homeowners to sell their property.” BARRY worked as a mor...
Cuyahoga Prosecuting Attorney announces indictments in 4 fraud cases
2007-09-14 01:42:00 Cuyahoga County (Ohio) Prosecutor Bill Mason continues his efforts to combat mortgage fraud and predatory lending. Four more cases of mortgage fraud were indicted today, involving 26 individuals and entities, four houses in Solon, totaling over $2.6 million in fraudulent loans. Today’s indictments bring the total to 12 cases that have been indicted since the beginning of the year. These cases total 134 defendants and over $8.4 million in fraudulent loans for 60 properties located in ten communities: Shaker Heights, Oakwood Village, Cleveland, East Cleveland, Cleveland Heights, Solon, Pepper Pike, Garfield Heights, Brook Park, and Brooklyn. For more on the Prosecutor’s Office’s efforts to address these types of fraud and the foreclosure crisis, including a Q and A on mortgage fraud and predatory lending, visit the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office website: http://prosecutor.cuyahogacount-y.us. The first Solon case involves Gerald Sizemore, 40, of Sandusky...
3 indicted in Ohio mortgage fraud allegations (2 of 4)
2007-09-14 01:37:00 The second Solon case announced today by Cuyahoga County (OH) Prosecutor Bill Mason (pictured left) involves Karl Whittingham, 30, of Cleveland. He bought a new house at 6749 Winston Lane for $725,000 in September 2005 by submitting false loan applications for a $500,000 first mortgage loan from Argent Mortgage Company, LLC, and a $188.750 second mortgage loan from GB Home Equity, LLC. He overstated his income by $100,000 and his bank accounts by $16,000 to these lenders. Whittingham also engaged in a scheme regarding the $36,400 down payment. No down payment was actually made because third parties engineered a scheme to deceive the lenders. Whittingham and the following were each indicted on ten or more theft and forgery related charges: Stephen Holman of Buckeye Lending, a licensed mortgage broker; Buckeye Lending, Inc.; and Theodore Caulkins, owner of and licensed broker at Buckeye Lending. Each of these felonies range in prison time from one to five years. The house is now in ...
3 indicted in straw buyer fraud allegations (3 of 4)
2007-09-14 01:33:00 The third Solon case announced today by Cuyahoga County (OH) Prosecutor Bill Mason involves the home at 35532 Nightshade Lane. Estelle Jackson, 63, of Bedford, fraudulently bought this house by obtaining a $625,000 loan from Meritage Mortgage Corporation. She falsely claimed that she made $122,400 as an account representative for L’Oreal USA, when she made approximately $38,000 as a machine operator for that company. She was a “straw buyer,” as she allowed Frederick Watkins, a licensed mortgage broker at Premier Funding of Ohio, Inc. to lease (with the option to buy) this property to unsuspecting renters who paid Watkins approximately $27,000 before they realized it was a scam. These unsuspecting renters thought their payments were sent to the lender to pay the new mortgage loan. Watkins kept this money and he never paid the mortgage in Jackson’s name. Jackson received $31,000 for the scheme that, in addition to Watkins and Premier, involved the constructio...
3 men indicted in straw borrower scheme (4 of 4)
2007-09-14 01:27:00 The fourth Solon case announced today by Cuyahoga County (OH) Prosecutor Bill Mason involves a new house at 38710 Flanders Drive. Ogbonnaya Edeh, 49, of Cleveland, fraudulently obtained an $850,000 loan from New Century Mortgage Company. He never made a down payment, never saw the inside of the house before the purchase, and never lived in it. Edeh was employed as a local cab driver, but he falsely stated he made $150,000 as a structural engineer for Classic Tango Engineering, and Phillip Taylor, the owner of that company, falsely verified Edeh’s employment and income. Edeh received $31,000 for this scam. Brian Chenoweth, president of Widdershin One, Inc., and Ike Osuji, a middle man, who posed as a buyer, were also indicted for their involvement in this scheme. Edeh was a “straw buyer” in this scheme that involved other individuals, including Stephen Holman and Jeffrey Brown of Buckeye Lending, Inc. After Edeh purchased this house, Holman and Brown leased the ho...
Ohio AG indicts man accused of defrauding elderly victim in real estate fra
2007-09-07 23:04:00 In the following press release Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann and the Franklin County Prosecutor’s office have secured the indictment of Christian Lambright for defrauding an 81 year old Columbus resident. Lambright’s indictment by the Franklin County Grand Jury on felony counts of Theft, Securing Writings by Deception, and Money Laundering follows a three week investigation by the Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission mortgage fraud task force. Attorney General Dann, who heads the Commission, said Lambright faces enhanced penalties on the felony charges because the victim of the alleged crimes is a senior citizen. The Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office will prosecute the case. According to Mr. Dann, Lambright was associated with two mortgage broker agencies: Randall Mortgage at 555 Metro Place in Dublin and Hartford Financial at 645 Metro Place South, Suite 100, Dublin, Ohio 43017. Randall Mortgage went out of business in May 2007. Hartford Financ...
Man charged in Fontana (CA) fraud allegations
2007-09-07 22:02:00 In the following press release the San Bernadino District Attorney Michael A. Ramos announced that on Wednesday, September 5, 2007, felony charges of forgery and financial elder abuse were filed on Silvestre Cortez, 44, of Fontana, after an investigation by the District Attorney’s Real Estate Fraud Unit. In 1997, Cortez borrowed $115,000 from the victim for the purchase of her Rialto property. In 2000, Cortez allegedly forged the victim’s signature on a Subordination Agreement document that placed the loan in a secondary position. Cortez had taken an additional $110,000 loan on the Rialto property. In late 2006, the elderly victim discovered the forgery when she was informed that her former property was in foreclosure. Cortez was incarcerated at the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Adelanto Detention Center for unrelated fraud charges when the new charges were filed. He was booked on the new charges and bail was set at $150,000.
Cleveland Attorney indicted for Real Estate thefts
2007-09-07 21:55:00 In the following press release Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Bill Mason announced that Attorney Cynthia D. Smith was indicted for stealing $100,000 from the Eternal Security Baptist Church and for stealing $78,000 from a probate estate.Smith, 53, whose business address is 11811 Shaker Blvd., was hired by the congregation of Eternal Security Baptist Church in the fall of 2005 to represent the church in selling its property for $135,000 to Cleveland Municipal School District. The congregation intended to use the proceeds to construct a smaller church. The sale was closed on February 10, 2006. After expenses, the balance from the sale was $132, 303, which was transferred by the escrow account agent to Smith’s client trust fund. Smith returned $32,303 to the church, as agreed, and the church requested that she keep the remaining $100,000 in her trust fund to be used to pay for the new construction costs. The congregation requested confirm... |
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