PHILADELPHIA—Frank J. Dattilo, 64, of Holland, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 15 months in prison for a scheme to defraud mortgage lenders in an effort to obtain money and property, announced United States Attorney Zane David Memeger. DAttilo was the owner and operator of the mortgage brokerage firm Provident Financial Group (“PFG”), located in Bensalem, PA. He employed Michael Giello as a mortgage broker and loan officer, and Jason Megow as a loan processor. Dattilo marketed to people with poor credit or low incomes. Between January 2004 and February 2007, Dattilo, Giello, and Megos created false documents for use in mortgage applications. The falsified forms, among other things, overstated borrowers’ income, falsely showed that borrowers had rental histories, and showed that a property was an income-producing rental property when, in fact, it was not. These fraudulent documents made borrowers appear more creditworthy than they were, thereby misleading the banks into funding the mortgage loans.
All three defendants pleaded guilty to two counts, each, of mail fraud. Giello was sentenced to one year and one day; Megow was sentenced to one day in prison and five years of supervised release. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Norma Shapiro ordered the three defendants to pay total restitution in the amount of $117,673.66.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Pennsylvania Department of Banking. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Maria M. Carrillo.

Four Detroit area residents were indicted on charges of wire fraud and interstate transportation of money taken by fraud, announced United States Attorney Barbara L. McQuade. McQuade was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Andrew G. Arena, Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Charged in the 14-count indictment, which was unsealed this week, were MELVIN A. JOHNSON, 49, of Lathrup Village; CURTISS JOHNSON, 46, of Novi; BRADY MUSE, JR, 48, of Novi; and LANITA J. GATEWOOD, 53, of Detroit.
The indictment charges that from November 2004 through February 2006, these individuals knowingly participated in a scheme to defraud mortgage lenders. The loan applications were completed or supervised by Melvin Johnson or Curtiss Johnson at CHALLENGE MORTGAGE’s branch office in Southfield, Michigan, where Melvin was the branch manager and Curtiss a loan officer. Challenge Mortgage was a mortgage broker based in Florida.
The indictment alleges that the loan applications were materially false or fraudulent and that when the mortgage loans closed, Melvin Johnson and Curtiss Johnson benefitted financially through checks made payable to Challenge Mortgage and other businesses with which Melvin Johnson was associated, such as JEM Marketing Realty, JEM Processing, and First United Realty.
The indictment also alleges that the fraudulent information provided in the loans documents included false employers, overstated income, fictitious bank accounts, stolen identities, and information obtained from forged deeds, and that as a part of the scheme, Brady Muse created counterfeit documents to support the fraudulent loan packages assembled by Melvin Johnson and Curtiss Johnson. It also alleges that Lanita Gatewood allowed property she did not own to be titled in her name, and that she distributed the proceeds of the fraud to other participants in the scheme.
The defendants are charged with multiple counts of wire fraud and interstate transportation of money taken by fraud. Each count of wire fraud carries a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. Each count of interstate transportation of money taken by fraud carries a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. The defendants could also be ordered to pay restitution to the mortgage lenders.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that a federal grand jury sitting in New Haven has returned a second superseding indictment charging a total of 10 individuals with various offenses related to their alleged participation in a mortgage fraud conspiracy. Six defendants, including Syed A. Babar of New London, have been charged previously with various mortgage fraud offenses stemming from the alleged scheme. The second superseding indictment charges four additional defendants, MARSHALL ASMAR, 40, of Joanne Drive, Milford; WENDY WERNER, 45, of Sarasota, Florida; REHAN QAMER, 38, formerly of Ashtabula, Ohio, and MOHAMMAD SALEEM, 39, formerly of Flushing, New York.
The indictment alleges that, between August 2006 and May 2010, Syed A. Babar, also known as “Ali” and “Asad,” 28, of New London, was the de facto leader and organizer of a conspiracy to obtain millions of dollars in residential real estate loans, including loans insured by the Federal Housing Administration, through the use of sham sales contracts, false loan applications and fraudulent property appraisals. The indictment alleges that ASMAR and WERNER entered into sales contracts with straw purchasers to sell homes for a price higher than the actual price that ASMAR and WERNER, as the sellers, would receive. Members of the conspiracy—which included a mortgage broker, two attorneys and a real estate appraiser—submitted false documentation in connection with loan applications that were submitted, including fraudulent appraisals of the properties being purchased in order to justify the inflated sales price and the loan amount being sought to fund each purchase. The indictment further alleges that members of the conspiracy created a fictitious construction company called “Sheda Telle Construction, LLC,” in order to divert fraud proceeds to it and, in some cases, to falsely justify the artificially inflated sales price of houses based on renovations purportedly made to the property that, in fact, did not occur. The co-conspirators then split the fraud proceeds.
It is alleged that, in August 2006, WERNER, through her company, Marbo Restorations, LLC, sold three houses on Lake Street in Norwich to QAMER, a straw purchaser working with Babar. The fraudulently inflated sales prices for 35, 37, and 41 Lake Street were $260,000, $270,000, and $270,000, respectively, and QAMER obtained residential real estate loans to purchase homes for those amounts. WERNER provided Babar with approximately $283,000 of the proceeds generated from the sale of the three houses. Babar then wrote 10 checks totaling approximately $179,000 to QAMER.
SALEEM also is alleged to have served as a straw purchaser during the conspiracy. Babar is alleged to have recruited and paid straw purchasers up to $20,000 to nominally purchase homes.
Contrary to the representations made on the loan applications, it is alleged that the straw purchasers never occupied the houses as their primary residences, failed to make payments on the loans and the properties went into foreclosure, including the three Lake Street properties that QAMER purchased from WERNER.
The alleged mortgage fraud scheme involved approximately 35 properties and loans obtained in the amount of approximately $10 million. Current losses from the scheme are estimated to be at least $2.5 million.
The indictment charges ASMAR, WERNER, QAMER, and SALEEM with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years. ASMAR and WERNER also are charged with eight counts of wire fraud, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years on each count. The indictment also charges ASMAR with four counts of making false statements, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years on each count. Finally, the indictment charges WERNER and QAMER with one count of mail fraud, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
The second superseding indictment was returned on July 29, 2010, and unsealed on September 15. ASMAR was arrested on August 20. He entered a plea of not guilty to the charges and is released on a bond in the amount of $250,000, fully secured by real property. WERNER was arrested in Florida on September 10. On September 21, she appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Donna F. Martinez in Hartford and entered a plea of not guilty to the charges. She is released on a bond in the amount of $85,000, fully secured by real property.
QAMER and SALEEM are currently being sought by law enforcement.
U.S. Attorney Fein stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney Fein stated that the investigation is ongoing.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development – Office of Inspector General, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Eric J. Glover and Susan Wines.
In July 2009, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation announced the formation of the Connecticut Mortgage Fraud Task Force to investigate and prosecute mortgage fraud cases and related financial crimes occurring in Connecticut. In addition to investigating past mortgage fraud schemes, the Task Force will focus on emerging crime trends that are associated with the growing tide of foreclosures, including foreclosure rescue schemes, and short sale schemes. Citizens are encouraged to report any suspected mortgage fraud activity by calling 203-333-3512 and requesting the Connecticut Mortgage Fraud Task Force, or by sending an email to ctmortgagefraud@ic.fbi.gov.
The Connecticut Mortgage Fraud Task Force includes representatives from the U.S. Attorney’s Office; Federal Bureau of Investigation; Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General; Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Office of Inspector General; and State of Connecticut Department of Banking.
To report financial fraud crimes, and to learn more about the President’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force, please visit www.stopfraud.gov.

Farrington is Last Defendant to be Sentenced in Case
U.S. Attorney’s Office June 02, 2011

DALLAS—Eric Rulack Farrington, 58, of Irving, Texas, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sam A. Lindsay to 132 months in federal prison for largely orchestrating a multi-million-dollar mortgage fraud scheme in the Dallas area, announced U.S. Attorney James T. Jacks of the Northern District of Texas. Judge Lindsay also ordered that Farrington pay approximately $2.5 million in restitution and forfeit approximately $1.2 million to the U.S. Farrington and seven other defendants were convicted in April 2010, following a nearly two-month trial on various felony offenses related to the fraud scheme that they operated in the Dallas area from March 2002 until January 2006. He is the last defendant in this case to be sentenced and was ordered to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on September 6, 2011.

The jury convicted Farrington on all 32 counts of the superseding indictment, including: one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of bank fraud and aiding and abetting, 15 counts of wire fraud and aiding and abetting, 10 counts of money laundering and aiding and abetting, and five counts of engaging in a monetary transaction with criminally derived property and aiding and abetting. Farrington was the president of Eric Farrington Seminars, Inc. and Prestige Capital Corporation, which did business as Farrington Mortgage Group. He was also a manager of EFC Investments, LLC, which did business as EFC Management Company. All were located in Dallas.

Farrington’s former fiancé, Janice Little Shepherd, 51, of Irving, Texas, a mortgage broker who did business as EFC Capital Mortgage Company, was sentenced yesterday by Judge Lindsay to five years in prison and ordered to pay $1,564,498 in restitution and forfeit approximately $1.2 million to the U.S. She was convicted at trial on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, 11 counts of wire fraud and aiding and abetting, and four counts of engaging in a monetary transaction with criminally derived property and aiding and abetting. She was also ordered to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on September 6, 2011.

Other defendants convicted and sentenced in the scheme include:

Regis Lamont Williams, 45, of Dallas, was a Texas certified real estate appraiser who did business as Executive Certified Appraisal. He was convicted on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of bank fraoud and aiding and abetting, nine counts of wire fraud and aiding and abetting, and five counts of engaging in a monetary transaction wtih criminally derived property and aiding and abetting. He was sentenced on April 28, 2011 to 46 months in prison and ordered to pay approximately $1 million in restitution and forfeit approximately $1.2 million to the U.S. In addition, the U.S. Attorney’s office will send a copy of his judgment order to the Texas Appraiser Licensing and Certification Board for whatever action they deem appropriate.
Kevin Ray Sanderson, 36, of Irving, Texas, was a business associate of Farrington and the vice president of Farco Construction, Inc., Dallas, which also did business as Farrington Mortgage Group. He was convicted on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of bank fraud, four counts of wire fraud and aiding and abetting, and one count of money laundering. Earlier this week he was sentenced to 57 months in prison and ordered to pay $762,983 restitution, and forfeit approximately $1.2 million to the U.S.
James Edward Jones, 45, of Dallas, was a real estate agent. He was convicted on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and two counts of wire fraud and aiding and abetting. On August 27, 2010, he was sentenced to 30 months in prison and ordered to pay $624,414 restitution and forfeit approximately $1.2 million to the U.S.
Edwin Terrence Bell, 44, of Fort Worth, Texas, was in the real estate management business and was the president of Togetherness, Inc. Bell also did business as The Togetherness Group and TTG, Inc. He was convicted on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, five counts of wire fraud and aiding and abetting, and two counts of engaging in a monetary transaction with criminally derived property and aiding and abetting. On August 27, 2010, he was sentenced to 41 months in prison and ordered to pay $442,604 in restitution and forfeit approximately $1.2 million to the U.S.
Micheal (sic) Lewis Andrews, 51, of Plano, Texas, was chief executive officer of Second Chance Mortgage, Inc. and did business as 2nd Chance Mortgage. He was convicted on two counts of wire fraud and aiding and abetting. He was sentenced last week to 24 months in prison and ordered to pay $108,659 in restitution.
Robert John Mason, 56, of Oak Leaf, Texas, was an employee of Prestige Capital Corporation. He was convicted of two counts of wire fraud and aiding and abetting. He was sentenced in July 2010 to 30 months in prison and ordered to pay $463,722 in restitution.

Prior to trial, Marcus Allen Parker, 36, of Rowlett, Texas, who was an associate of defendant Kevin Ray Sanderson, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and was sentenced in July 2010 to three years’ probation.

The scheme was largely orchestrated by Farrington—a motivational speaker and author of a real estate book who had an infomercial on making money in real estate that ran on late night television. The defendants located single-family residences for sale in the Dallas area, including distressed and pre-foreclosure properties, and negotiated a sales price with the seller. They created surplus loan proceeds by inflating the sales price to an arbitrary amount substantially more than the fair market value of the residence, many times using inflated appraisals. In some cases, they would create a bogus outstanding mortgage lien to be discharged. They recruited individuals with high credit scores to act as borrowers and falsely represented to them that the property would be managed by the defendants and rented by a suitable tenant; that the mortgage, interest, taxes, insurance and property maintenance would be paid from the rental income; and the purchasers/borrowers would have no expenses. The borrowers had no intention to live in the property and did not have sufficient income to repay the loans. They said they relied on Farrington.

The defendants prepared and submitted fraudulent loan documents showing inflated incomes in the names of the borrowers and obtained loans in inflated amounts based on these fraudulent loan documents. Then they used the fraudulently obtained surplus loan proceeds to pay the sellers kickbacks, to conceal the fraud, and distributed the bulk of the proceeds among themselves. They would then allow the loan to go into foreclosure after a few payments were made on the loan.

Some of the residences used in the scheme include:

1420 Travis Circle South, Irving, Texas
6231 Azalea Lane, Dallas
7730 Cliffbrook Drive, Dallas
10907 Cinderella Lane, Dallas
7617 Arborgate Drive, Dallas
13735 Ashridge Drive, Dallas
6824 Winterwood Lane, Dallas
6840 Winterwood Lane, Dallas
6915 Winterwood Lane, Dallas
7012 Creek Bend Road, Dallas
1509 Appalachian Drive, Allen, Texas

Mortgage fraud is a major focus of President Barack Obama’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force. President Obama established the interagency Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force to wage an aggressive, coordinated, and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. The task force includes representatives from a broad range of federal agencies, regulatory authorities, inspectors general, and state and local law enforcement who, working together, bring to bear a powerful array of criminal and civil enforcement resources. The task force is working to improve efforts across the federal executive branch, and with state and local partners, to investigate and prosecute significant financial crimes, ensure just and effective punishment for those who perpetrate financial crimes, combat discrimination in the lending and financial markets, and recover proceeds for victims of financial crimes. For more information about the task force visit: www.stopfraud.gov.

U.S. Attorney Jacks praised the investigative efforts of the FBI and Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation and the cooperation of several state agencies including the Texas Department of Savings and Mortgage Lending and the Texas Appraiser Licensing and Certification Board. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph Revesz and Walt Junker prosecuted the case.

DENVER—Cedric Lipsey, age 35, and Philip A. Martinez, age 34, both from Denver, Colorado, were indicted by a federal grand jury last week on charges of wire fraud as part of a mortgage fraud scheme, U.S. Attorney David Gaouette, FBI Special Agent in Charge James Davis, and IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Christopher M. Sigerson announced. Lipsey was arrested by federal agents without incident. He appeared in U.S. District Court in Denver on August 31st, 2009 for an initial appearance, where he was advised of the charges pending against him. He appeared in court again today, where U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Kristen L. Mix authorized his release on a $50,000 property bond.

According to the indictment, beginning in April 2004, and continuing thereafter until about March 2006, in the District of Colorado and elsewhere, Cedric Lipsey, aided and abetted by defendant Philip A. Martinez, did knowingly devise and intend to devise a scheme to defraud lending companies that funded residential mortgage loans and to obtain money from them by means of materially false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises.

Cedric Lipsey, a licensed real estate agent, held himself out as a successful real estate agent and investor. Philip A. Martinez was a loan officer and mortgage broker.

Lipsey orchestrated the purchase and resale or refinancing of numerous residential properties, including the sale of one of his own homes, by paying individuals to participate as “investors” in what he referred to as an investment “opportunity.” Lipsey and Martinez arranged for these so-called “investors” to use their good credit to obtain mortgage loans to purchase the properties. Shortly after the first set of loans that helped these individuals purchase properties, Lipsey caused them to sell the properties to a second set of buyers at substantially higher prices, with Lipsey and Martinez taking a combination of commissions, fees, and proceeds from the first and second transactions.

Lipsey falsely represented that the first buyers would be purchasing and had purchased the properties for less than their actual market value. The first sales were not “distressed”, as the defendants sometimes represented to facilitate their fraud. In fact, the first buyers purchased the properties at or near their market value, and there was no legitimate reason for the substantial increase in price when the same properties were resold shortly thereafter.

Lipsey and Martinez arranged to have a variety of fraudulent documents submitted to the lenders in support of the loan applications. These consisted primarily of documents purporting to show proof of the borrowers’ employment, proof of the borrowers’ assets, and sources of the borrowers’ asset, and incomes. The defendants also used forged signatures where necessary to facilitate the scheme. Furthermore, Lipsey enabled certain appraisers to create false reports which reflected that the subject properties were “comparable” to the higher quality or otherwise more valuable properties, when they were not.

“Mortgage fraud weakens our economy, threatens the recovery of the housing market, and makes it more difficult for law-abiding folks to purchase a home,” said United States Attorney David Gaouette.
“Mortgage fraud hurts borrowers, financial institutions, and legitimate homeowners,” said FBI Denver Division Special Agent in Charge James Davis. “The FBI, in conjunction with our law enforcement, regulatory, and industry partners, will continue to diligently pursue perpetrators of mortgage fraud schemes.

“Mortgage fraud creates a significant loss of tax revenue, drives buyers into foreclosure, leave lenders burdened with bad loans and neighborhoods with abandoned and deteriorating properties,” said Christopher M. Sigerson, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Denver Field Office.

If convicted of wire fraud, which are counts one through 27, the penalty is not more than 20 years in federal prison, and up to a $250,000 fine, per count. If convicted of count 28, monetary transaction in property derived from unlawful activity, the defendant faces not more than 10 years in federal prison, and up to a $250,000 fine.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS CI).

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Linda Kaufman.

MINNEAPOLIS—Earlier today in federal court in the District of Minnesota, two people pleaded guilty to their roles in a scheme that defrauded mortgage lenders out of approximately $4.2 million. My Dinh Lam, age 30, of Minneapolis, and Ashley Elizabeth Prasil, age 27, of Eden Prairie, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with the scheme. The defendants, who were charged on April 21, 2011, entered their pleas before United States District Court Judge Susan Richard Nelson in St. Paul.

In their plea agreements, the defendants admitted that from December 18, 2006, through December of 2007, they conspired to defraud mortgage lenders in connection with the marketing of the Cloud 9 Sky Flats (“Cloud 9″), a Minnetonka development. The defendants admitted that the scheme involved finding buyers to apply for mortgage loans to purchase units in the development, knowing that each buyer would receive a kickback of approximately 30 percent of the reported purchase price of any unit. The application forms submitted to the lenders did not disclose these kickbacks. The kickback payments were returned to the buyers through an account controlled by a co-conspirator, with a portion skimmed off and shared among the defendants. More than 40 Cloud 9 units were sold through the scheme, and more than 80 percent of the loans have since defaulted. In excess of $4.2 million was transferred to accounts controlled by Sheri Lynn Delich, a person who has been charged by Information in this case.

For their crimes, the defendants face a potential maximum penalty of five years in prison. Judge Nelson will determine their sentences at a future hearing, yet to be scheduled.

This case is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert M. Lewis.

This law enforcement action is in part sponsored by the interagency Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force. The task force was established to wage an aggressive, coordinated, and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. It includes representatives from a broad range of federal agencies, regulatory authorities, inspectors general, and state and local law enforcement who, working together, bring to bear a powerful array of criminal and civil enforcement resources. The task force is working to improve efforts across the federal executive branch and, with state and local partners, investigate and prosecute significant financial crimes, ensure just and effective punishment for those who perpetrate financial crimes, combat discrimination in the lending and financial markets, and recover proceeds for victims of financial crimes.

Two Houston Men Sentenced to Prison for Mortgage Fraud
U.S. Attorney’s Office June 01, 2011

HOUSTON—Adrian Levale Cole and Albert Terrance Watkins, both of Houston, have been sentenced to prison for their roles in a multi-million-dollar mortgage fraud scheme, United States Attorney José Angel Moreno announced today.

Cole, 40, owned and operated the “fictitious” companies AC Homes and WT Homes and generated more than $10 million in fraudulent home loan submissions at and through Phantom Marketing, Capri Mortgage, and United National Mortgage by recruiting borrowers with good credit in Houston and the surrounding area. He pleaded guilty to wire fraud and false representation of Social Security numbers in June 2010. Today, United States District Judge David Hittner sentenced Cole to a 108-month term of incarceration to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release.

Watkins, 47, who devised the scheme with Cole to purchase multiple residential properties in the greater Houston area through fraudulent mortgage loans, was sentenced to 150 months’ incarceration by United States District Judge David Hittner. Watkins’ role in the scheme was two-fold. He was both a recruiter of borrowers with good credit on behalf of Phantom Marketing and a loan processor at Capri Mortgage and subsequently at United National Mortgage. Watkins pleaded guilty in June 2010 to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Judge Hittner has also imposed a three-year term of supervised release to be served by Watkins upon completion of his prison term.

The scheme involved the borrowers with good credit to agree and to apply for home mortgage loans from multiple lenders, with the understanding that they would not be responsible for the monthly mortgage payments—rather, Phantom Marketing would make all payments on all loans. Watkins explained to the borrowers that the portions of the approved loan proceeds from the purchased homes would go to them and/or Watkins and/or Cole and others. As was true of most of the other loans that were part of this scheme, only the first few monthly mortgage payments were made, and then the mortgage loans went into default for non-payment.

Specifically, as related to Cole and his counts of conviction, in December 2004 Cole purchased a Houston residential property for $110,000, an “inflated” sales price, using a false Social Security number belonging to a minor on the home mortgage loan application with a “created” line of credit that was ultimately approved for $99,000. Loan funds from the bank account of the lender, People’s Choice Home Loans Inc., were wired into the bank account of the title company. Out of the loan proceeds, a check in the amount of $69,100 issued to AC Homes, Cole’s company, as a “Contractor Loan.” No construction work of any kind was ever done by AC Homes on that property located in Houston. On June 23, 2005, Cole sold this property to a “straw purchaser,” who purchased it for a greater “inflated” sales price of $150,000. According to the title file, $105,000 went to pay off Cole mortgage loan and $39,551.33 cash went to seller, Cole. No improvements were ever done to this property. The straw buyer defaulted on $150,000 in loans and the loss to bank, after resale of the foreclosed home, has been determined to be $105,128.

In addition to the prison terms, Judge Hittner has also ordered Cole and Watkins to pay restitution, jointly and severally, to various financial institutions who are currently the servicers of the loans as a result of the bankruptcy and closure of the now defunct, initial lenders. The final amount of restitution will be determined by the court within 90 days.

The investigation leading to the charges was the result of a joint investigation conducted by agents of the FBI, Friendswood Police Department, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations and the Social Security Administration – Office of Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorneys Melissa J. Annis and Carolyn Ferko prosecuted the case.

PHOENIX—Phoenix resident Paige Kinney, aka Jaime Lee Lawler, 42, pleaded guilty in two separate cases in federal district court on Friday. In one case, Kinney admitted to her leadership role in a $40 million mortgage fraud involving Countrywide Home Loans, and in the second case, she admitted to committing bankruptcy fraud, bank fraud, and mail fraud.

“This defendant’s fraudulent activities were pervasive—she targeted financial institutions, she undermined the integrity of the bankruptcy court, and she stole from an insurance company,” said U.S. Attorney Dennis K. Burke. “For those in the real estate and mortgage industry: If you engage in fraud to line your pockets at the expense of others, we will come after you with everything we have. I congratulate the IRS and FBI on a thorough investigation.”

“Today’s guilty plea signifies the continued commitment by the FBI, the Arizona Mortgage Fraud Task Force, and the United States Attorney’s Office in targeting mortgage and bankruptcy fraud,” said John Strong, Federal Bureau of Investigation Acting Special Agent in Charge, Phoenix Division. “The FBI and its law enforcement partners will continue to aggressively pursue those who are involved in these types of fraudulent schemes. Mortgage fraud has greatly impacted the citizens of Arizona over the past few years and will continue to remain a top criminal priority of the FBI.”

Kinney admitted that from January of 2005 through December of 2007, she and others recruited straw buyers to purchase homes the buyers never intended to live in by obtaining mortgage loans the buyers never should have received. Kinney arranged for the loan applications to be submitted with false information about the employment, income, and assets of the buyers so they would qualify for the loans. The loans, totaling almost $40 million, were obtained based on inflated property appraisals. The excess cash totaling $9 million was then diverted to Kinney and her co-conspirators.

Kinney further admitted that she continued her illicit activities while she was pending trial on the mortgage fraud charges. She declared bankruptcy and then attempted to hide assets and liabilities by changing her name. She committed additional financial fraud by arranging for friends to fraudulently obtain a loan to purchase a Mercedes. And she committed insurance fraud by staging a phony burglary of her residence and then collecting $130,000 from Allstate Insurance Company.

Kinney pleaded guilty to a total of 13 felony offenses, many of which each carry a maximum prison sentence of 30 years and a maximum fine of $1 million. In determining an actual sentence, the federal district court judge will consult the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide appropriate sentencing ranges. The judge, however, is not bound by those guidelines in determining a sentence.

Sentencing is set before Judge Neil V. Wake on September 12, 2011. The investigation in this case was conducted by the IRS and FBI. The prosecution is being handled by Kevin M. Rapp and Monica B. Klapper, Assistant U.S. Attorneys, District of Arizona, Phoenix.

A 36-year-old Savage man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Minneapolis to participating in a $13 million mortgage fraud scheme that involved no fewer than 25 properties in Prior Lake, Savage, and Minnetonka, among other Minnesota communities. Appearing before United States District Court Judge Ann D. Montgomery this morning, Ericvan Anthony McDavid specifically pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. He was indicted, along with two co-defendants, on June 15, 2010. McDavid’s sister, Renee Lynise McDavid, age 38, of Brooklyn Park, pleaded guilty on January 25, 2010, to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with the same scheme. She was charged on January 19, 2011.

In his plea agreement, Ericvan McDavid admitted that between April of 2005 and February of 2009, he conspired to obtain loan proceeds fraudulently by making false representations and promises as well as by withholding material information. During that time, McDavid was either an owner or co-owner of several businesses, including EVM Properties, Skyy Realty, and Universal, Inc., through which he bought, sold, and managed real estate.

To carry out this fraud scheme, McDavid recruited “straw buyers” to purchase selected properties by promising them payments of $15,000 to $52,000 per transaction. Once a buyer agreed to purchase a particular property, McDavid provided that buyer with funds to put toward the purchase, thereby misleading the lender into believing that the buyer actually had a financial interest in repaying the loan, when, in reality, that was not the case.

McDavid then produced or caused the production of false loan applications on behalf of the buyers. Those applications overstated the buyers’ assets and employment status. Because of the false applications, mortgage loans were approved in no fewer than 25 real estate transactions, with total loan proceeds amounting to approximately $13 million. While those proceeds were intended to pay for the properties and other transaction-related expenses, McDavid admittedly used portions of them to benefit himself personally.

Ultimately, the properties involved in the fraudulent transactions fell into default and ended up in foreclosure. Following foreclosure, they were sold for a total of about $4 million, resulting in a loss due to this scheme of about $9.2 million.

In her plea agreement, Renee McDavid admitted participating in the scheme from 2006 through 2008. In her capacity as a licensed real estate agent and mortgage broker, she was responsible for losses incurred in five of the 25 property transactions noted above. In those instances, she entered false information on loan applications so straw buyers would qualify for mortgage loans they otherwise would not be eligible to receive. Again, those misrepresentations included overstating applicant income and falsifying employment histories. As a result of the material misrepresentations in those five instances alone, lenders issued loan proceeds totaling more than $1.7 million and ultimately incurred a loss of approximately $768,000.

Ericvan McDavid’s two co-defendants, Larry Africanus Hutchinson, age 39, of St. Paul, and Jerone Ian Mitchell, age 35, of Minneapolis, have pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. They are awaiting sentencing.

For his crime, Ericvan McDavid faces a potential maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Renee McDavid faces a potential maximum penalty of five years for her crime. Judge Montgomery will determine their sentences at a future hearing, yet to be scheduled.

These cases are the result of investigations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Minnetonka Police Department. They are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christian S. Wilton.

This law enforcement action is in part sponsored by the interagency Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force. The Task Force was established to wage an aggressive, coordinated, and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. It includes representatives from a broad range of federal agencies, regulatory authorities, inspectors general, and state and local law enforcement who, working together, bring to bear a powerful array of criminal and civil enforcement resources. The Task Force is working to improve efforts across the Federal executive branch and, with state and local partners, investigate and prosecute significant financial crimes, ensure just and effective punishment for those who perpetrate financial crimes, combat discrimination in the lending and financial markets, and recover proceeds for victims of financial crimes.

SACRAMENTO, CA—United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced that United States District Judge Morrison C. England, Jr. sentenced Ralondria Stafford, 37, of San Francisco, and Necole Ward, 32, of Las Vegas, (both formerly of Vallejo, Calif.) for their roles in a mortgage fraud scheme carried out in Vallejo between 2005 and 2006. Judge England sentenced Stafford to 21 months in prison and Ward to 12 months and a day in prison. The prison sentences are to be followed by three years of supervised release and both defendants were ordered to pay $200,000 in restitution. Stafford and Ward pleaded guilty on June 10, 2010.

This case was the product of a joint investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Kyle Reardon prosecuted the case.

According to court documents, Stafford and Ward, who are sisters, operated RN Realtors in Vallejo. Between July 2005 and August 2006, they used two straw buyers to purchase properties that they owned in Vallejo. They offered the buyers $5,000 for the use of their names and financial information, and told the buyers that the purchase would be in name only and that Stafford would purchase the properties back in six to 12 months.

In the course of the conspiracy, Stafford and Ward prepared “Uniform Residential Loan Application” forms in the straw buyers’ names containing false statements that included overstating of the straw buyer’s income, claiming false employment at employers, and misidentifying properties as a primary residence.

At sentencing, Judge England said that the sentences were driven by several justifications, including the need to punish the defendants for their acts of greed and to deter others who might be considering similar conduct. He also cited the fact that both defendants had real estate licenses at the time of their crimes and were therefore aware of the illegal nature of their fraud.

Judge England dismissed Stafford’s argument that she should be given a sentence of home confinement so as not to be separated from her 7-year-old son. Judge England told Stafford that had her child been her number one priority at the time she was considering breaking the law, she would not have gotten into trouble. “You made your choice,” said Judge England, “now I have to deal with it.”

In addressing Ward, Judge England noted that she was highly educated, with degrees from Swarthmore and the University of San Francisco, and her conduct in this case was extremely serious given that she knew that her conduct was illegal and her education made her more culpable than someone who could not appreciate fully the wrongfulness of her acts.

This law enforcement action is part of the work being done by President Barack Obama’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force. President Obama established the interagency Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force to wage an aggressive, coordinated, and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. The task force includes representatives from a broad range of federal agencies, regulatory authorities, inspectors general, and state and local law enforcement who, working together, bring to bear a powerful array of criminal and civil enforcement resources. The task force is working to improve efforts across the federal executive branch, and with state and local partners, to investigate and prosecute significant financial crimes, ensure just and effective punishment for those who perpetrate financial crimes, combat discrimination in the lending and financial markets, and recover proceeds for victims of financial crimes. One component of the FFETF is the national Mortgage Fraud Working Group, co-chaired by U.S. Attorney Wagner, which is tasked with combating mortgage fraud schemes. For more information on the task force, visit StopFraud.gov.

SOURCE: FBI

CHICAGO—A federal jury convicted a disbarred Chicago lawyer on fraud charges for her role in facilitating staged real estate transactions involving Chicago homes in 2003, federal law enforcement officials announced today. The defendant, Lorie Westerfield, was found guilty on three counts of wire fraud and was acquitted on one additional fraud count by a jury Monday after a week-long trial in U.S. District Court.

Westerfield, 46, of Chicago, acted as a seller’s attorney and title company representative in fraudulent transactions that she knew a co-defendant had arranged to obtain lender proceeds from the fraudulent sales. Westerfield faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each of the three fraud counts. She remains free on bond while awaiting sentencing, which was set for Aug. 4 by U.S. District Judge Samuel Der-Yeghiayan.

In 2008, following a previous federal conviction involving bankruptcy fraud, Westerfield, voluntarily consented to disbarment.

Westerfield and 11 co-defendants were among 67 Chicago area defendants charged in a dozen separate mortgage fraud cases in June 2008 as part of Operation Malicious Mortgage, a nationwide initiative against fraudulent home-lending schemes. All 11 co-defendants previously pleaded guilty in the case and are also awaiting sentencing. These 11 co-defendants, including five loan officers, admitted to having various roles in a fraud scheme that obtained more than $3.2 million collectively in mortgage loan proceeds from more than a dozen lenders by submitting false loan applications using stolen identities for 17 purported home purchases in Chicago between January 2003 and November 2005. The scheme was orchestrated by defendant Freddie Johnson, who arranged for various co-defendants to appear at staged real estate closings as the purported buyers, sellers, and their representatives, in some instances using the identities of deceased individuals, to obtain the loan proceeds to be paid to the purported sellers and their nominees. Johnson and three other co-defendants testified as government witnesses at Westerfield’s trial.

The guilty verdict was announced by Patrick J. Fitzgerald, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Robert D. Grant, Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Thomas A. Kelly, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service, Department of Homeland Security.

The government is being represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joel M. Hammerman and Tony U. Iweagwu, Jr.

Former Treasure Valley residents Shane M. Hymas and Laurie Kreschelle Hymas, both age 32, now of American Fork, Utah, were sentenced today in district court in Boise for bank fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson.

U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge sentenced Shane Hymas to five months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Laurie Hymas was sentenced to one month in prison and will also serve three years of supervision. While on supervised release they will each be required to serve five months of home detention and perform 100 hours of community service. Restitution will be determined at a later date.

The two pleaded guilty to bank fraud on April 1, 2010. According to court documents, they admitted to submitting a false and fraudulent residential loan application to obtain a mortgage from a lender.

The case is related to the ongoing Crestwood mortgage fraud, which involved multiple defendants who bought and sold real estate in order to “flip” it, or gain profits from the sales.

To date, six people have been sentenced in related cases, including Michael J. Hymas, Shauntee K. Ferguson, Christopher R. Georgeson, Stanley J. Ferguson, Brent Bethers, and Paul Redondo. Paul Redondo’s wife Melody pleaded guilty in February to making a false statement to a financial institution. She is scheduled to be sentenced in federal court in Boise on June 13.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Idaho Attorney General’s Office and the Idaho Department of Finance.

SACRAMENTO, CA—United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced that United States District Judge Morrison C. England, Jr. sentenced Ralondria Stafford, 37, of San Francisco, and Necole Ward, 32, of Las Vegas, (both formerly of Vallejo, Calif.) for their roles in a mortgage fraud scheme carried out in Vallejo between 2005 and 2006. Judge England sentenced Stafford to 21 months in prison and Ward to 12 months and a day in prison. The prison sentences are to be followed by three years of supervised release and both defendants were ordered to pay $200,000 in restitution. Stafford and Ward pleaded guilty on June 10, 2010.

This case was the product of a joint investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Kyle Reardon prosecuted the case.

According to court documents, Stafford and Ward, who are sisters, operated RN Realtors in Vallejo. Between July 2005 and August 2006, they used two straw buyers to purchase properties that they owned in Vallejo. They offered the buyers $5,000 for the use of their names and financial information, and told the buyers that the purchase would be in name only and that Stafford would purchase the properties back in six to 12 months.

In the course of the conspiracy, Stafford and Ward prepared “Uniform Residential Loan Application” forms in the straw buyers’ names containing false statements that included overstating of the straw buyer’s income, claiming false employment at employers, and misidentifying properties as a primary residence.

At sentencing, Judge England said that the sentences were driven by several justifications, including the need to punish the defendants for their acts of greed and to deter others who might be considering similar conduct. He also cited the fact that both defendants had real estate licenses at the time of their crimes and were therefore aware of the illegal nature of their fraud.

Judge England dismissed Stafford’s argument that she should be given a sentence of home confinement so as not to be separated from her 7-year-old son. Judge England told Stafford that had her child been her number one priority at the time she was considering breaking the law, she would not have gotten into trouble. “You made your choice,” said Judge England, “now I have to deal with it.”

In addressing Ward, Judge England noted that she was highly educated, with degrees from Swarthmore and the University of San Francisco, and her conduct in this case was extremely serious given that she knew that her conduct was illegal and her education made her more culpable than someone who could not appreciate fully the wrongfulness of her acts.

This law enforcement action is part of the work being done by President Barack Obama’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force. President Obama established the interagency Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force to wage an aggressive, coordinated, and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. The task force includes representatives from a broad range of federal agencies, regulatory authorities, inspectors general, and state and local law enforcement who, working together, bring to bear a powerful array of criminal and civil enforcement resources. The task force is working to improve efforts across the federal executive branch, and with state and local partners, to investigate and prosecute significant financial crimes, ensure just and effective punishment for those who perpetrate financial crimes, combat discrimination in the lending and financial markets, and recover proceeds for victims of financial crimes. One component of the FFETF is the national Mortgage Fraud Working Group, co-chaired by U.S. Attorney Wagner, which is tasked with combating mortgage fraud schemes. For more information on the task force, visit StopFraud.gov.

TAMPA, FL—U.S. Attorney Robert E. O’Neill announces that U.S. District Judge Susan C. Bucklew today sentenced Sang Min Kim, a/k/a Sonny Kim (37, Tampa) to 41 months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire, mail, and bank fraud and money laundering in connection with a mortgage fraud scheme. As part of his sentence, the court entered a money judgment in the amount of $5,826,778.65, the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct.

Kim pleaded guilty on June 29, 2010. According to court documents, from about January 2005 through October 2008, Kim engaged in numerous residential real estate transactions in the Middle District of Florida, primarily in Hillsborough County, at least 48 of which involved fraud and resulted in losses of approximately $5,826,778.65.

Kim purchased residential properties as an “investor” with the intention of “flipping” the properties in subsequent sales. Kim’s co-conspirators identified the properties he purchased, usually at market value, by accepting quit claim deeds from the sellers. Frequently, Kim’s co-conspirators also identified the “buyers” to whom he flipped the properties. Kim’s buyers’ mortgage loan applications typically included the false claim that they intended to occupy the properties they were purchasing, when in fact they never intended to purchase Kim’s properties as places to live. Moreover, Kim’s buyers made no genuine financial commitment of funds to their purchase transactions. The buyers’ stated down payments were fictitious because the funds used to make the down payments were either provided by Kim or another, or the buyer used his or her own money and was subsequently reimbursed by Kim who used loan proceeds to do so. The “buyers” were motivated to participate in these transactions by the fact that they were being paid to assume the role of “purchaser.”

As a part of the fraud scheme, Kim used appraisers whom he knew would “come in higher” on appraised values. He also regularly provided a title agent with additional compensation in the form of “side commissions” in exchange for expediting closings. Kim was aware that at least one mortgage broker created false W-2 forms to document a prospective borrower’s stated income. Kim was also aware that his company, SK Investment Group, LLC, was used to provide false employment verifications for other fraudulent transactions from which he did not directly benefit. Kim was also aware that one or more mortgage brokers, through whom he conducted his purchase/sales transactions, made up fictitious income and false assets that were inserted on prospective buyers’ loan applications. Kim was assisted in his fraudulent purchase/sales transactions by persons employed by federally insured financial institutions. Those persons were aware that Kim, as the seller, received a portion of funds derived from equity lines of credit acquired by his buyers.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rachelle DesVaux Bedke.

LOS ANGELES—A Buellton man was sentenced today to 21 months in federal prison for defrauding banks by nearly simultaneously seeking home equity lines of credit from four different federally insured financial institutions.

Larry P. Corbi Jr., 36, who resided in Marina del Rey during the course of the scheme and has since relocated to the Central Coast, was sentenced by United States District Judge Dale S. Fischer. In addition to the prison term, Judge Fischer ordered Corbi to pay $356,644 in restitution.

Corbi pleaded guilty in November to one count of bank fraud, admitting that he fraudulently filed four applications for home equity lines of credit (HELOCs) over a two-week period in 2008. According to a plea agreement filed in this case, Corbi bought a $620,000 home in the Granada Hills district of Los Angeles in November 2007. In March 2008, Corbi applied for four HELOCs in amounts ranging from $122,000 to $191,000 from Washington Mutual Bank, GMAC ResCap, Countrywide Bank F.S.B., and Metlife Bank/PHH Mortgage Corporation. Corbi concealed from each financial institution that he was concurrently applying for other HELOCs that would also be secured by the Granada Hills home. Three of the four HELOCs were approved and funded.

In total, Corbi obtained $672,144 in loan proceeds, which included $200,000 he borrowed to purchase the Granada Hills home. When the home went into foreclosure, the banks that had loaned money to Corbi suffered losses totaling $356,644.

The case against Corbi was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The list of resources below has been compiled for anyone that suspects that they may be a victim of real estate or mortgage fraud or scam. The list was originally designed as a resource to report mortgage fraud, predatory lending scams and identity theft in Florida but may also serve those who are victims of many types of fraud in Florida. Other types of fraud may include:

Internet Scams
Phishing/Email Scams
Credit Card Fraud
Investment Fraud
Financial – Debt Elimination
Business/MLM Scams
Etc.

FBI Field Offices, Mortgage Fraud

White Collar Crime Supervisor

http://jacksonville.fbi.gov/

7820 Arlington Expressway, Suite 200
Jacksonville, FL 32211-7499
Phone: (904) 721-1211

White Collar Crime Supervisor

http://miami.fbi.gov/

16320 NW 2nd Ave.
North Miami Beach, FL 33169-6508
Phone: (305) 944-9101

White Collar Crime Supervisor

http://tampa.fbi.gov/

500 Zack St., Room 610, FOB
Tampa, FL 33602-3917
Phone: (813) 273-4566

Florida Attorney General – Consumer Protection

http://myfloridalegal.com/consumer

The Capitol PL-01
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1050
Phone: (850) 414-3300

HUD Field Office

Jacksonville Field Office
Charles E. Bennett Federal Building
400 W. Bay St., Suite 1015
Jacksonville, FL 32202
Phone: (904) 232-2627
Fax: (904) 232-3759

Miami Field Office
909 SE First Ave.
Miami, FL 33131
Phone: (305) 536-4456
Fax: (305) 536-5765

Orlando Field Office
3751 Maguire Blvd., Room 270
Orlando, FL 32803-3032
Phone: (407) 648-6441
Fax: (407) 648-6310

Tampa Field Office
500 Zack St., Suite 402
Tampa, FL 33602
Phone: (813) 228-2026
Fax: (813) 228-2431

HUD Regional Office

Atlanta Regional Office
40 Marietta St.
Five Points Plaza
Atlanta, GA 30303-2806
Phone: (404) 331-4111
Fax: (404) 730-2392

Florida Department of Banking and Finance Division of Financial Investigations

101 East Gaines St., Suite 516
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0350
Toll Free: (800) 848-3792 (Florida only)
Phone: (850) 410-9275
Fax: (850) 410-9628

Nationally Chartered Credit Unions

Region III – Atlanta

http://www.ncua.gov/

7000 Central Parkway, Suite 1600
Atlanta, GA 30328
Phone: (678) 443-3000
Fax: (678) 443-3020

State-Chartered Credit Unions

Florida Division of Banking
101 East Gaines St., Ste. 636
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0350
Phone: (850) 410-9111
Fax: (850) 410-9548

Savings & Loan Association or Savings Bank

Office of Thrift Supervision

http://www.ots.treas.gov/resultsort.cfm?catNumber=88&dl=17&edit=1

E-mail: consumer.complaint@ots.treas.gov
Southeast Region – Atlanta
1475 Peachtree St., N.E.
Atlanta, Georgia 30309
Phone: (404) 888-0771
Complaints: (800) 842-6929

National Fair Housing Alliance

To locate your local office:

http://www.nationalfairhousing.org

National Contact: E-mail: nfha@nationalfairhousing.org
1212 New York Ave., NW Ste 525
Washington, DC 2005
Phone: (202) 898-1661
Fax: (202) 371-9744

Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services

Division of Consumer Services
2005 Apalachee Parkway
Terry Rhodes Building
Tallahassee, FL 32399-6500
Phone: 1-800-HELP-FLA (435-7352)

Florida Real Estate Commission (REC) Home Page

DBPR Customer Contact Center

http://www.myflorida.com

Disciplinary Activity Reports of Brokers and Appraisers:

http://www.myflorida.com

1940 North Monroe St.
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1027
Phone: (850) 487-1395
Fax: (850) 922-4191

Better Business Bureaus

Better Business Bureau of Northeast Florida

http://www.bbbnefla.org

E-mail: info@bbbnefla.org
4417 Beach Blvd., Suite 202
Jacksonville, FL 32207
Phone: (904) 721-2288
Fax: (904) 721-7373

Better Business Bureau Serving Southeast Florida and the Caribbean

http://www.bbbsoutheastflorida.org

E-mail: info@seflorida.bbb.org
2924 N Australian Ave.
West Palm Beach, FL 33407 –
Phone: (561) 842-1918
Fax: (561) 845-7234

Better Business Bureau of West Florida

http://www.clearwater.bbb.org

E-mail: info@bbbwestflorida.org
PO Box 7950
Clearwater, FL 33758 -7950
Phone: (727) 535-5522
Fax: (727) 539-6301

Better Business Bureau of Northwest Florida

http://www.nwfl.bbb.org

E-mail: info@nwfl.bbb.org
PO Box 1511
Pensacola, FL 32591 -1511
Phone: (850) 429-0002
Fax: (850) 429-0006

Better Business Bureau of Central Florida, Inc.

http://www.orlando.bbb.org

E-mail: info@orlando.bbb.org
151 Wymore Road, Ste. 100
Altamonte Springs, FL 32714 -
Phone: (407) 621-3300
Fax: (407) 786-2625

PITTSBURGH—A resident of Richland Township, Pennsylvania has been sentenced in federal court to 27 months in prison and two years of supervised release on his conviction of wire fraud conspiracy, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.

United States District Judge Nora Barry Fischer imposed the sentence on Daniel Sporrer, 47, of Gibsonia, Pennsylvania. Judge Fischer also ordered Sporrer to pay approximately $575,000 in restitution.

According to information presented to the court, Sporrer participated in a mortgage fraud scheme with Robert Arakelian, who was a mortgage broker associated with Pittsburgh Home Loans; Karen Atkison, who was a closing agent who worked with Sporrer; and others. As part of the conspiracy, Arakelian submitted false loan applications to lenders that falsely reported that the borrowers had sufficient funds in their own accounts to make the down payments associated with the purchases of real estate and to otherwise qualify for the loans to finance the purchases of the real estate. The closing documents, which were prepared and executed by Sporrer and Atkison, falsely reported to the lenders that the borrowers made down payments from their own funds at the closings, when, in fact, they did not make any payments at the closings. In addition, Sporrer advanced money to Arakelian in advance of the closings so that Arakelian could purchase certified checks, copies of which were made to present to the lenders to falsely verify that the borrowers had made the down payments.

Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

U.S. Attorney Hickton commended the Mortgage Fraud Task Force who conducted the investigation that led to the conviction of Sporrer. The Mortgage Fraud Task Force is comprised of investigators from federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies and others involved in the mortgage industry. Federal law enforcement agencies participating in the Mortgage Task Force include the United States Secret Service; Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation; the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General; and the United States Postal Inspection Service. Other Mortgage Fraud Task Force members include the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office; the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, Bureau of Consumer Protection; the Pennsylvania Department of Banking; the Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Enforcement and Investigation; and the United States Trustee’s Office.

Mortgage industry members with knowledge of fraudulent activity are encouraged to call the Mortgage Fraud Task Force at (412) 894-7550. Consumers are encouraged to report suspected mortgage fraud by calling the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Hotline at (800) 441-2555.

LOS ANGELES—A Buellton man was sentenced today to 21 months in federal prison for defrauding banks by nearly simultaneously seeking home equity lines of credit from four different federally insured financial institutions.

Larry P. Corbi Jr., 36, who resided in Marina del Rey during the course of the scheme and has since relocated to the Central Coast, was sentenced by United States District Judge Dale S. Fischer. In addition to the prison term, Judge Fischer ordered Corbi to pay $356,644 in restitution.

Corbi pleaded guilty in November to one count of bank fraud, admitting that he fraudulently filed four applications for home equity lines of credit (HELOCs) over a two-week period in 2008. According to a plea agreement filed in this case, Corbi bought a $620,000 home in the Granada Hills district of Los Angeles in November 2007. In March 2008, Corbi applied for four HELOCs in amounts ranging from $122,000 to $191,000 from Washington Mutual Bank, GMAC ResCap, Countrywide Bank F.S.B., and Metlife Bank/PHH Mortgage Corporation. Corbi concealed from each financial institution that he was concurrently applying for other HELOCs that would also be secured by the Granada Hills home. Three of the four HELOCs were approved and funded.

In total, Corbi obtained $672,144 in loan proceeds, which included $200,000 he borrowed to purchase the Granada Hills home. When the home went into foreclosure, the banks that had loaned money to Corbi suffered losses totaling $356,644.

The case against Corbi was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

MINNEAPOLIS—Earlier today in federal court in St. Paul, a jury convicted a 44-year-old Burnsville man of conspiring with others to bilk mortgage lenders out of more than $43 million. Following a six-day trial, the jury found Troy David Chaika guilty on seven counts of wire fraud, three counts of mail fraud, and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud. Chaika was indicted on April 12, 2010.

The indictment filed in this case and the evidence presented at trial indicated that between 2005 and 2008, Chaika conspired with others, including Dustin Lee LaFavre, prosecuted in a separate action, to obtain money fraudulently through over 100 residential property transactions. To further this scheme, Chaika and LaFavre negotiated with builders of new properties as well as owners of existing properties to buy both single pieces of property and property groupings, known as “bulk purchases,” at greatly reduced prices. Chaika and LaFavre then solicited real estate purchasers by promising they would receive large cash pay-outs, or “kickbacks,” from lenders’ funds.

Chaika and LaFavre failed to tell potential buyers about the reduced prices they had negotiated for the properties, choosing instead to quote them the grossly inflated prices. By charging buyers the higher prices, Chaika and LaFavre acquired enough cash from loan proceeds to pay buyers their kickbacks and still have money left for themselves and their co-conspirators. Once a potential buyer was recruited through this scheme, Chaika and LaFavre, or someone working on their behalf, drafted a purchase agreement that reflected the inflated sale price only and failed to disclose to lenders the kickback amount to the buyer. Occasionally, Chaika, LaFavre, or someone working for them drafted a so-called addendum to the purchase agreement, setting forth the planned kickback, or “pay-out,” to the buyer, but that document was never provided to the lender.

In several instances, Chaika and LaFavre, or others on their behalf, worked with buyers and mortgage loan officers to prepare false documents for use in the application process. In addition, Chaika and LaFavre sometimes loaned buyers money for down payments or to pad their bank balances while the application process was pending. Because of those material misrepresentations, numerous lenders agreed to fund mortgage loans for the purchase of the residential properties. Furthermore, after the mortgage loans were secured, property title companies prepared documents and handled closings based on the fraudulent information provided by Chaika and LaFavre or others on their behalf. Again, those misrepresentations were material.

In furtherance of this scheme, Chaika prompted no fewer than seven wire transfers of loan proceeds from which he and others obtained cash kickbacks. He also caused false documents to be sent through the U.S. mail and by commercial carriers on at least three occasions.

For his crimes, Chaika faces a potential maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on each count. United States District Court Judge Richard H. Kyle will determine his sentence at a future hearing, yet to be scheduled. On December 7, 2009, Dustin Lee LaFavre pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy and awaits sentencing.

This case is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nancy E. Brasel and David M. Genrich.

This law enforcement action is in part sponsored by the interagency Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force. The task force was established to wage an aggressive, coordinated, and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. It includes representatives from a broad range of federal agencies, regulatory authorities, inspectors general, and state and local law enforcement who, working together, bring to bear a powerful array of criminal and civil enforcement resources. The task force is working to improve efforts across the federal executive branch and, with state and local partners, investigate and prosecute significant financial crimes, ensure just and effective punishment for those who perpetrate financial crimes, combat discrimination in the lending and financial markets, and recover proceeds for victims of financial crimes.

FRESNO, CA(Source: FBI) — United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced that United States District Judge Lawrence J. O’Neill sentenced Wrenl Burge, 40, of Fresno, to 41 months in prison and Albert Lewis Ellis, 46, also of Fresno, to 33 months in prison for a scheme to falsify mortgage loan documents. Burge was ordered to pay $1,011,524 in restitution, and Ellis was ordered to pay $548,178 in restitution to the mortgage lenders.According to their plea agreements, Burge and Ellis each admitted that they each obtained a Social Security number that belonged to another person and used that Social Security number to obtain mortgages to purchase various properties in Fresno. As part of their scheme to defraud, Burge and Ellis, using the fraudulently obtained Social Security numbers, would each submit mortgage loan applications to lenders and would falsify information regarding their employer, their salary, and their assets. The homes eventually went into foreclosure, causing a combined loss to the lending institutions of $1,559,702.

This case is the product of a joint investigation by the United States Secret Service, the Social Security Office of Inspector General, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michele Thielhorn.

In announcing the indictment, U.S. Attorney Machen and Assistant Director in Charge McJunkin commended the work of those who investigated the matter for the FBI’s Washington Field Office, including special agents and forensic accountants. They also cited the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Diane Hayes and Sarah Reis, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Friedman. Finally they acknowledged the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Virginia Cheatham, who is prosecuting the case along with the office’s Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section.