PLANO, Texas – A 64-year-old Grand Prairie, Texas man has been sentenced to federal prison for his role in a conspiracy to commit bank fraud and perjury in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston today.

Melvin Ray Layman pleaded guilty on July 20, 2016, to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and conspiracy t commit perjury and was sentenced to 51 months in federal prison on Jan. 11, 2017 by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone. Layman was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $111,744...

According to information presented in court, from July 2014 to September 2015, Layman conspired with Daylon Esaw to execute a scheme to defraud financial institutions by forging distressed borrowers’ signatures on quitclaim deeds purported to grant ownership of the properties from the true owners to Esaw. Layman and Esaw then filed civil law suits in Dallas County District Courts against the financial institutions that asserted a fraudulent ownership interest in the properties. Layman and Esaw then sought to force the financial institutions to either pay them a settlement to clear up the titles or allow Layman and Esaw to short sell the properties. Layman and Esaw intended to split the proceeds from their scheme when they were successful. Additionally, from November 2011 to June 2013, Layman conspired with Rebecca Quinn and others to make a false statement to the Grand Jury of the United States District Court in the Eastern District of Texas in regards to a mortgage fraud investigation. Quinn had been subpoenaed to testify in the Grand Jury about the use of her notary on certain mortgage documents. Layman met with Quinn prior to her testimony, so that they could strategize on how she would lie to the Grand Jury about the use of her notary. On June 12, 2013, Quinn appeared before the Grand Jury and while under oath made false statements about the use of her notary on certain mortgage documents.