http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/mortgagefraud/ en-us Tue, 3 Nov 2009 16:02:49 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2377443/posts Federal authorities were rounding up Tuesday morning 10 people, including singer Aldo Matta and a local developer, after a federal grand jury indicted them in a $15 million mortgage fraud scheme, FBI Special Agent in Charge Luis Fraticelli said. U.S. Attorney Rosa Emilia Rodríguez scheduled an 11:30 a.m. press conference to discuss the arrests, which reportedly took place in San Juan, Bayamón, Caguas and the state of Florida. The victims of the fraud were reportedly several local financial institutions, the FBI chief said. The indictments were handed up Oct 30. “These people were dedicated to a fraud scheme that took... Caribbean Business http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2377443/posts#comment Tue, 3 Nov 2009 16:02:49 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2375730/posts Some of my best friends have worked for ACORN. They are honest, dedicated and moral individuals who appreciated the mission of this group, which has done so much good for some of our poorest citizens. So I take it personally when Congress reduces ACORN to an object lesson about the purported immorality of some community organizers. ACORN isn't perfect. Both its loose organizational supervision and occasional zealotry of its organizers have led to abuses. But Congress has been extremely hypocritical and biased in cutting off federal funds. When two conservative activists posed as a pimp and a prostitute and with... .baltimoresun.com/ http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2375730/posts#comment Sun, 1 Nov 2009 05:59:18 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2369955/posts Republicans and Democrats on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee agreed Friday night on language for a wide-reaching subpoena of Countrywide Financial’s VIP lending program as part of an investigation into allegations of influence peddling by the company at all levels of government, committee aides said. The subpoena, which was sent out Friday night, will ask the lender to fork over documents relating to its “Friends of Angelo” program – named for CEO Angelo Mozilo, who allegedly offered favorable mortgage rates to persons of influence. politico.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2369955/posts#comment Sat, 24 Oct 2009 14:23:56 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2315529/posts BALTIMORE, MD—A federal grand jury has indicted Jay Leonard, age 43, of Alexandria, Virginia, today for mail and wire fraud in connection with scheme involving the fraudulent purchase of 25 properties in Maryland, the District of Columbia and Virginia and a scheme to solicit investors for a resort property that did not exist, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein. The indictment was returned on August 11, 2009 and Leonard is scheduled to have his initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Baltimore today at 3:00 p.m. According to the nine count indictment, February 2006... Department of Justice http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2315529/posts#comment Thu, 13 Aug 2009 23:55:56 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2315509/posts GREENBELT, MD—U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow sentenced Earnest Lewis, age 52, of Takoma Park, Maryland, today to 54 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to commit wire fraud arising from a scheme in which the conspirators offered to help financially vulnerable individuals save their homes from foreclosure, and instead defrauded homeowners and mortgage lenders, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein. Lewis previously agreed to forfeit $2,228,878, generated as proceeds of the criminal activity and Judge Chasanow will rule on that and the restitution amount at a later... Department of Justice http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2315509/posts#comment Thu, 13 Aug 2009 23:44:41 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2309801/posts NEWARK, NJ—It’s the type of story that is becoming increasingly more common: FBI Special Agent In Charge Weysan Dun announced today the arrests of GARTH CELESTINE, age 44, of 535 Dean Street, Apartment 515, Brooklyn, New York; and PHIL A. SIMON, age, 34, of Brooklyn – both better known collectively as “Home Savers Consulting Corporation”. Both were arrested this morning at their residences without incident and charged with attempt and conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with a home foreclosure scheme. Celestine and Simon owned and operated Home Savers, which held itself out as a foreclosure rescue company, at... Department of Justice http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2309801/posts#comment Thu, 6 Aug 2009 18:13:01 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2304001/posts Jeffrey H. Sloman, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Michael K. Fithen, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Secret Service, Antonio J. Gomez, Acting Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Miami Division, Michael J. Folmar, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Jon T. Rymer, Inspector General, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation-Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG), Kenneth M. Donohue, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development-Office of Inspector General (HUD-OIG), Miami Field Office, Linda Charity, Acting Commissioner, State of Florida Office of Financial Regulation, and Robert Parker, Director, Miami-Dade Police Department, announced... Department of Justice http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2304001/posts#comment Wed, 29 Jul 2009 23:40:52 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2303040/posts NEWARK, NJ—FBI Special Agent In Charge Weysan Dun announced today the arrest of Daniel Verdia, Don Apolito, Jaye Miller, and Chrystal Paling (all on Tuesday, July 21), as well as the surrender of Robert Gorman and Philip Blanch (on Friday, July 24)—all in connection with a mortgage fraud scam operated out of an office in Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey. All of the arrests occurred without incident. The six defendants are each charged with one count of wire fraud, in a joint investigation between the FBI and IRS titled “Operation Follow The Money.” The investigation centered around activities occurring between February... FBI Newark http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2303040/posts#comment Tue, 28 Jul 2009 21:39:55 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2302321/posts ALEXANDRIA, VA—Richard A. Forde, also known as Euburn Richard Forde, age 51, formerly of Great Falls, Va., was sentenced today to 42 months in prison for his role in a mortgage fraud scheme from approximately December 2001 to January 2004. Dana J. Boente, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; W. Clarkson McDow, Jr., United States Trustee; and Joseph Persichini Jr., Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by United States District Judge Anthony J. Trenga. In addition his prison term, Forde was sentenced to three years of supervised release... Department of Justice http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2302321/posts#comment Mon, 27 Jul 2009 23:13:31 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2297759/posts SPRINGFIELD, MO—Matt J. Whitworth, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a former mortgage broker pleaded guilty in federal court today to her role in a $500,000 mortgage fraud scheme. Cheryl Joan Kassebaum, 43, of Ozark, Mo., pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge James C. England to the charges contained in a Nov. 20, 2008, federal indictment. Kassebaum, a former mortgage broker and co-owner of Metro Consulting Group, admitted that she participated in a scheme to defraud home mortgage lenders from March to July 2006. Kassebaum participated in a conspiracy to obtain mortgage loans for... Department of Justice http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2297759/posts#comment Tue, 21 Jul 2009 21:56:40 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2297756/posts HOUSTON—An 11-count sealed indictment charging conspiracy and wire fraud has been unsealed following the arrests of Claymon "Butch" Trammell, Michelle Trammell, and Jeannettea Williams, United States Attorney Tim Johnson announced today. Claymon Trammell operated real estate and home repair companies in the Houston area. Michelle Trammell, Claymon Trammell's daughter, operated as a mortgage broker while Jeannettea Williams, Claymon Trammell's wife, operated as a real estate agent. Claymon Trammell, 59, of Manvel, Texas; Michelle Trammell, 37, of Katy, Texas; and Jeannettea Williams, 54, of Manvel, Texas, are charged for their alleged involvement in a scheme to defraud residential mortgage lenders out... Department of Justice http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2297756/posts#comment Tue, 21 Jul 2009 21:53:07 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2295249/posts ORLANDO, FL—United States Attorney A. Brian Albritton announces that Garry S. Martin (age 36, of Orlando) has pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit money laundering in connection with various mortgage fraud schemes. Martin faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. According to the plea agreement, Martin was convicted in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York in 2006 for engaging in mortgage fraud. Martin had made several applications to secure mortgages from Citimortgage, Inc., a subsidiary of CitiBank. Those applications contained several false statements, including inflated values for the borrower’s income and... Department of Justice http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2295249/posts#comment Sat, 18 Jul 2009 01:09:43 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2290064/posts GREENBELT, MD—U.S. District Judge Roger W. Titus sentenced Kurt Fordham, age 39, of Ft. Washington, Maryland, today to 10 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release for conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud in connection with a mortgage fraud scheme that falsely promised to help homeowners facing foreclosure keep their homes and repair their damaged credit, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein. Judge Titus also ordered Fordham to pay restitution of $13,131,287.63, and forfeit three residential properties in Oxon Hill, Capitol Heights and Laurel, Maryland, and three vehicles. According to... Department of Justice http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2290064/posts#comment Sat, 11 Jul 2009 00:16:50 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2278708/posts CHICAGO—Forty-one defendants are facing federal charges relating to various mortgage fraud schemes in five separate cases made public today by federal law enforcement officials. In some of the schemes, the defendants were charged with falsely inflating the values of dilapidated homes in urban areas. Other schemes feature a twist where defendants were charged with deals involving million-dollar condominiums in a Chicago high-rise and sprawling homes in affluent suburbs. A total of 37 individuals and four businesses, including a title company that closed on allegedly fraudulent loans, are facing new federal charges relating to mortgage fraud in five separate cases in... Department of Justice http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2278708/posts#comment Wed, 24 Jun 2009 22:37:01 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2277854/posts A federal grand jury has indicted 10 people in an alleged mortgage-fraud scheme that allowed them to obtain $17.2 million in loans to buy condominiums in a downtown high-rise. Acting together, the investors provided false information about their employment, income and assets to secure the loans to finance seven condos and two townhomes at Millennium Centre, a 59-story tower at 33 W. Ontario St., according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The indictment is one of five mortgage-fraud cases involving more than $48 million in loans that the U.S. attorney’s office announced Tuesday ChicagoBusiness.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2277854/posts#comment Tue, 23 Jun 2009 21:56:25 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2274776/posts John E. Murphy, Acting United States Attorney, announced that a federal jury this morning returned a guilty verdict against a San Antonio woman, who claimed to be a foreclosure prevention specialist, on seven counts each of criminal contempt and mail fraud. The jury found that since January 2000, 55-year-old Rosario Divins of San Antonio engaged in a fraudulent foreclosure prevention scheme. Testimony during the three-day trial revealed that Divins unjustly enriched herself by collecting over $100,000 in cash from individuals in desperate financial situations who responded to her mailout offering to stop their residential foreclosures. Divins continued to implement her... Department of Justice http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2274776/posts#comment Thu, 18 Jun 2009 23:16:51 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2273956/posts PHILADELPHIA—Mahn Huu Doan, a/k/a "Bruce Doan", 40, of Philadelphia, was sentenced today to 151 months in prison for a massive mortgage fraud and identity theft scheme, announced United States Attorney Michael L. Levy. Doan, a self-described real estate investor, would purchase houses, using false or borrowed identities, using government insured loans which he secured using fraudulent information. Doan's scheme also involved fraudulent appraisals that inflated the value of the houses for the purpose of resell the properties for a higher profit. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Michael M. Baylson also ordered Doan to pay more than... Department of Justice http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2273956/posts#comment Wed, 17 Jun 2009 23:00:57 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2270690/posts NEWARK, N.J.—A Montclair man pleaded guilty today to mail and wire fraud and money laundering charges in connection with a $139 million fraud scheme that bankrupted Pine Brook-based U.S. Mortgage Corp. and its subsidiary, CU National Mortgage, LLC, Acting U.S. Attorney Ralph J. Marra, Jr. announced. Michael J. McGrath, Jr., 46, the former president and director of U.S. Mortgage, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Katharine S. Hayden to one count of mail and wire fraud conspiracy, which carries a statutory maximum prison sentence of 20 years, and one count of money laundering conspiracy, which carries a statutory maximum prison... Department of Justice http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2270690/posts#comment Fri, 12 Jun 2009 21:59:47 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2265062/posts R. Alexander Acosta, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Jonathan I. Solomon, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, announced that defendant Jose G. Martin was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Marcia Cooke to sixty five months in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Judge Cooke also ordered a restitution hearing to determine the identity of the victims to be paid by Martin in connection with the $3,198,278 in restitution for losses that resulted from Martin’s participation in a mortgage fraud scheme. Defendant Jose G. Martin was arrested... Department of Justice http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2265062/posts#comment Fri, 5 Jun 2009 00:41:36 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2255087/posts R. Alexander Acosta, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Jonathan I. Solomon, Special Agent in Charge, Miami Division, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Daniel W. Auer, Special Agent in Charge, Miami Field Office, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, John Timoney, Chief, City of Miami Police Department, and Robert Parker, Director, Miami-Dade County Police Department, announce the unsealing of a fifty-nine (59) count Indictment charging three South Florida residents and a real estate brokerage corporation with participating in a long term mortgage fraud scheme designed to launder drug money. The defendants made their initial appearances in federal court on... Department of Justice http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2255087/posts#comment Wed, 20 May 2009 23:37:20 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2255083/posts GREENBELT, MD—Ronald Aaron Chapman, Jr., age 34, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud in connection with a mortgage fraud scheme that falsely promised to help homeowners facing foreclosure keep their homes and repair their damaged credit, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein. According to his plea agreement, in May 2005, co-defendants Joy Jackson and Jennifer McCall incorporated Metropolitan Money Store (MMS), located in Lanham, Maryland, which offered foreclosure consultation and credit services to financially distressed homeowners. From September 2004 to June 2007, Chapman and others conspired... Department of Justice http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2255083/posts#comment Wed, 20 May 2009 23:33:15 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2255075/posts Four individuals suspected of a multi-million dollar mortgage fraud scheme in Shelbyville, Tennessee, were arrested today, without incident, by special agents of the Knoxville Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Chattanooga Resident Agency and investigators with the Bedford County Sheriff's Office (BCSO). William Thomas McMahan, age 52, of Murfreesboro; Roger Dwight Ritch, age 52, of Shelbyville; Carrie Cameron Galvin Snow, age 40, of Murfreesboro; and Jonathan B. Henderson, age 39, of Murfreesboro were indicted by the federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Tennessee in Chattanooga and charged with one count of violating Title 18 United States... FBI Knoxville http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2255075/posts#comment Wed, 20 May 2009 23:25:36 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2249637/posts CINCINNATI—A Dayton father and son pleaded guilty in United States District Court here for their roles in an extensive mortgage fraud scheme that affected 210 residential properties, including 205 in Montgomery County. Edward McGee, 74, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering and Kenneth O. McGee, 49, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, wire fraud and money laundering, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Gregory G. Lockhart, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Keith L. Bennett, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation; Jose Gonzalez, Special Agent... Department of Justice http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2249637/posts#comment Tue, 12 May 2009 23:18:56 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2241618/posts DAYTON—A federal grand jury here has indicted Gregory S. Chew, 41, of Waynesville on one count of money laundering and 24 counts of illegally structuring currency transactions in connection with a mortgage fraud scheme. Gregory G. Lockhart, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Jose A. Gonzalez, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS); Keith L. Bennett, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and other members of the Greater Dayton Mortgage Fraud Task Force announced the indictment returned today. According to court documents, Chew, doing business under the names RB, Inc., and... Department of Justice-Dayton http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2241618/posts#comment Thu, 30 Apr 2009 23:21:13 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2239180/posts Now-Failed Omni National Bank Was One of Many Banks That Funded Millions of Dollars in Loans for Convicted Mortgage Fraudster ATLANTA, GA—MARK ANTHONY MCBRIDE, 43, a/k/a “Charles Conley,” “Charles Conley, Jr.,” and “Manuel Evans,” of East Point, Georgia, pleaded guilty today in federal district court to a conspiracy to obtain millions of dollars in fraudulent mortgages and other loans and to a bankruptcy fraud designed to stay foreclosures on dozens of fraudulently obtained properties. United States Attorney David E. Nahmias said, “We are moving with dispatch to review bank failures and to investigate and prosecute any frauds we find that... Department of Justice-Atlanta http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2239180/posts#comment Tue, 28 Apr 2009 00:03:19 GMT