Attached is the final report on our audit of the Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania, branch of National City Mortgage (branch office), Audit Report Number 2008-PH-1002, dated November 20, 2007. We selected the branch office because its default rate was above the state's default rate. Our objective was to determine whether the branch office complied with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) regulations, procedures, and...

We audited the Los Angeles Multifamily Hub's monitoring of its annual contributions contract with its performance-based contract administrator (contractor), Los Angeles LOMOD (LOMOD). Our overall audit objective was to determine whether the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) appropriately monitored LOMOD with respect to the annual contributions contract. The Los Angeles Multifamily Hub did not properly monitor its...

We audited the Cathedral Foundation of Jacksonville, Inc. (Foundation), concerning its involvement as owner and/or manager of four elderly multifamily housing projects (projects) located in Jacksonville, Florida. We conducted the audit based on a request from the Jacksonville Multifamily Housing Hub, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Jacksonville, Florida. Our audit objective was to determine whether the Foundation operated...

We audited the records for Moosup Gardens Apartments (project), a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)-insured multifamily project in response to a request from HUD. Our audit objective was to determine whether the project's costs were accurately reported to HUD and in accordance with the regulatory agreement and HUD's requirements. We identified questioned costs and opportunities for funds to be put to better use...

BOSTON – Three Massachusetts men were charged today in federal court in Boston in connection with a 10-year mortgage fraud scheme involving at least two dozen fraudulent loan transactions and $4.3 million in losses to lenders. George Kritopoulos, 46, of Salem, a real estate developer, was arrested today and charged with one count of conspiracy, two counts of wire fraud, six counts of bank fraud, one count of aiding the preparation of a false...

The owner of a former real estate escrow firm was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 24 months in prison for bank fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. LORI LYNN ANDREW, 49, of Cashmere, Washington, the owner of Hartman Escrow, Inc., pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud.  ANDREW stole more than $2.1 million through a variety of techniques, including making false entries in escrow closing documents,...

BOSTON – A Methuen real estate broker was sentenced today in connection with a sweeping conspiracy to defraud banks and mortgage companies by engaging in sham “short” sales of residential properties in Merrimack Valley. Greisy Jimenez, 50, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Mark L. Wolf to three years in prison, four years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a fine of $12,500. The court will determine issues of restitution...