Financial Freedom Settles Alleged Liability for Servicing of Federally Insured Reverse Mortgage Loans for $89 Million
Financial Freedom has agreed to a settlement with the United States of more than $89 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act and the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989 (FIRREA) in connection with its participation in a federally insured Home Equity Conversion Mortgages (HECM) or ‘reverse mortgage’ program, the Justice Department announced today. Financial Freedom is headquartered in...
Press release
Mayo 15, 2017
Local Real Estate Investor Pleads Guilty in Mortgage Fraud Scheme
(Source: fox13memphis.com) MEMPHIS, Tenn. - A local real estate investor has pled guilty to a charge of bank fraud, according to the Department of Justice.
In September of 2016, Thomas L. Boyd, 44, was indicted by a federal grand jury in connection with a scheme to fraudulently obtain mortgage loans.
The indictment alleged Boyd, the owner of Wonderful Properties, LLC gave false statements and documents to Regions Bank, First Tennessee Bank...
Article
Mayo 07, 2017
Executive Director of Ocean City, New Jersey, Housing Authority Admits Embezzling Federal Funds
CAMDEN, N.J. – The executive director of the Ocean City, New Jersey, Housing Authority (OCHA) today admitted embezzling federal funds received by authority from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Acting U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick announced.
Alesia Watson, 54, of Galloway Township, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen M. Williams in Camden federal court to an information charging her...
Press release
Mayo 07, 2017
Real Estate Investor Pleads Guilty in Mortgage Fraud Scheme
Memphis, TN – A Memphis real estate investor has pled guilty to a charge of bank fraud. Lawrence J. Laurenzi, Acting U.S. Attorney, announced the guilty plea today.
In September 2016, Thomas L. Boyd, 44, was indicted by a federal grand jury in connection with a scheme to fraudulently obtain mortgage loans. The indictment alleged that Boyd, the owner of Wonderful Properties, LLC made false statements and presented false documents to Regions Bank...
Press release
Mayo 04, 2017
Former Framingham Housing Authority Employee Sentenced For Embezzling Rent Payments
BOSTON – A Milford woman was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston in connection with embezzling over $70,000 in rent payments owed to the Framingham Housing Authority (FHA).
Rosa A. Famania, 33, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Patti B. Saris to five months in prison and three years of supervised release. In addition, Famania must complete five months in a residential or inpatient substance abuse facility upon her...
Press release
Mayo 02, 2017
East Chicago Contractor Indicted on Counterfeit Charges
(Source: The Times) HAMMOND — A contractor hired in 2013 to improve Gary Housing Authority properties was indicted last week on charges alleging he provided counterfeit financial documents to secure the $347,950 contract.
Ashley D. Dunlap, 54, of East Chicago, faces two counts of counterfeiting securities of a private entity, according to U.S. District Court records.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in July 2013 approved...
Article
Abril 30, 2017
East Chicago Man Indicted for Using Counterfeit Securities to Defraud Gary Housing Authority
HAMMOND- Acting United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson announced an indictment charging Ashley D. Dunlap, 54, of East Chicago, Indiana with two counts of uttering a counterfeit security.
The indictment alleges, in July 2013, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development approved federal funding for building renovations at the Delaney and Dorie Miller public housing projects operated by Gary Housing Authority (GHA). Dunlap’s...
Press release
Abril 30, 2017
Hazleton Realtor Charged With Conspiracy
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Ignacio Beato, age 46, of Hazleton, Pennsylvania, was charged in a one count criminal information on April 26, 2017, with conspiracy to engage in monetary transactions through a financial institution, with funds that were the proceeds of wire fraud.
According to United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, the information alleges that Beato...
Press release
Abril 30, 2017
Feds say Jasper Housing Director abused capacity, misused equipment and money
(Source: kjas.com) Federal authorities have announced that they have just completed an investigation of The Jasper Housing Authority and its executive director, John Molt, and the feds say they have discovered a pattern of abuse of capacity, misused equipment, and over $91,000.00 in misused funds, and they say they’re demanding that it all be paid back.
In a report released by the Office of the Inspector General of the United States...
Article
Abril 30, 2017
Man Who Defrauded Dozens of Distressed Connecticut Homeowners Sentenced to 9 Years in Federal Prison
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that TIMOTHY W. BURKE, also known as “Bill Burke,” “William Burke,” “Kerry Saunders,” “Pat Riley,” “Jim Caldwell,” “Jim Saunders,” “Tom Morrisey,” “Jimmy,” “Phil Burke,” “Phil,” “Burt,” “James Burke,” and “M. Soler,” 65, formerly of Easton, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 108 months of imprisonment, followed by three...
Press release
Abril 27, 2017
Fraudsters Convicted of Operating Nationwide Home Mortgage Scam
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Three co-conspirators who operated a nationwide, multi-year “home mortgage modification” fraud that scammed hundreds of victims out of at least $10 million were convicted today by a federal jury.
“These defendants scammed hundreds of individuals and families who were trying desperately to save their homes,” said Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Their crimes were rooted in dishonesty and...
Press release
Abril 20, 2017
Former Housing Authority CFO Pleads Guilty
Source: victoriaadvocate.com
By Jessica Priest
April 4, 2017 at 10:42 p.m.
Updated April 5, 2017 at 6 a.m
Upcoming court dates for other defendants
Debra Smith Gillespie, former executive director, May 3
Roger Earl Clark, maintenance director, May 1
David Keith Norrell, contractor, May 1
Robert Berry, contractor, May 15
Terre Horvath-Berry, wife of Robert Berry, May 15
One of six people charged with stealing from the Victoria Housing...
Article
Abril 09, 2017
Former GHURA Employee Sentenced for Receiving Bribes
(Source: www.guampdn.com) A judge sentenced a former employee of the Guam Housing and Urban Renewal Authority to 1 year and 1 day in prison for accepting bribes, but she will only spend 30 days behind bars.
Antonia Mayo-San Nicolas admitted to taking bribes from tenants to qualify them for the federally-funded Section 8 housing program when she was a housing specialist for GHURA. Court documents state she took bribes between September 2014 and...
Article
Abril 04, 2017
Perrysburg Man Sentenced to Prison
(Source: www.toledoblade.com) Calling their crimes “morally reprehensible,” a federal judge on Monday sent four people involved in a phony home-loan modification scheme to prison.
U.S. District Court Judge James Carr ordered Christopher J. Howder, 40, of Perrysburg to spend seven years in prison and pay $561,799 in restitution. Howder pleaded guilty last year to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, six counts of mail fraud, and seven...
Article
Abril 04, 2017
Ex-employee admits to stealing thousands from South Portland Housing Authority
Source: pressherald.com) A Gorham woman has pleaded guilty to embezzling more than $91,000 from the South Portland Housing Authority.
Jamie Hussey, 35, pleaded guilty Thursday in U.S. District Court to committing federal program fraud, said acting U.S. Attorney Richard W. Murphy in a news release.
Citing court records, Murphy said that Hussey embezzled $91,577 from the housing authority from February 2014 to September 2016. Prosecutors said...
Article
Abril 02, 2017
One Individual Charged With Making False Statements in a Reverse Mortgage Loan Application
SAN JUAN, P.R – On March 29, 2017, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned a one count indictment charging Tommy Rudy Habibe-Arias with making false statements in an application for a Home Equity Conversion Mortgage loan (commonly known as a “Reverse Mortgage”), announced United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico, Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez. The U.S. Department Housing & Urban Development- Office of...
Press release
Marzo 29, 2017
Multiple Individuals Charged in Sweeping Mortgage Fraud Conspiracy
BOSTON – A Methuen attorney and a Methuen loan officer pleaded guilty yesterday in connection with a sweeping conspiracy to defraud banks and mortgage companies by engaging in sham “short” sales of residential properties in Merrimack Valley. Separately, a Methuen real estate broker was arrested on Wednesday, March 22, 2017, on related charges, and a Dunstable attorney was sentenced after pleading guilty to participating in the same conspiracy....
Press release
Marzo 26, 2017
Indictment of former GHURA legal counsel followed 'arduous' investigation
(Source: The Guam Daily Post) Former Guam Housing and Urban Renewal Authority legal counsel Mark Smith denied to the GHURA board any financial interest that conflicted with his role with the agency, but an indictment alleged that he did have a conflict, which he tried to disguise through a series of allegedly fraudulent bank and real estate transactions.
In March 2011, Smith executed a contract with GHURA to serve as its legal counsel, and "...
Article
Marzo 21, 2017
Smith and Wong indicted for 56 counts; under investigation by FBI
(Source: Kaum News) Unsealed in the District Court of Guam today, two men have been indicted in the federal court for 56 counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and theft of government property, to name a few. Attorney Mark Smith was hired by GHURA as legal counsel in March 2011, and was prohibited from receiving funds directly or indirectly during his term.
Court documents state he was a landlord under the Section 8 program and worked...
Article
Marzo 20, 2017
HUD Oversight and Management Issues - 2017
Testimony before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
Hearing
Marzo 15, 2017