As the nation paused to celebrate and elevate the cornerstones of democracy in America, the attorneys in the Michael McLaughlin case did revolutionary battle over a unique turn in the case that could set new precedent in the federal court system. At issue is the still-remarkable turn of events from McLaughlin’s sentencing hearing in June, where Federal Judge Doug Woodlock put everything on hold and turned the keys to the case over to attorneys...

PHILADELPHIA - Richard Lewis, 54, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was charged by indictment unsealed today, with conspiracy to steal property from the Philadelphia Housing Authority where Lewis was employed at the time, in the amount of approximately $348,910, announced United States Attorney Zane David Memeger.  Lewis was arrested this morning by the FBI.

(FREEHOLD) The former executive director of the Asbury Park Housing Authority was arrested Thursday at his Mercer County home and charged with theft, announced Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni. Mark W. Holmes, 52, of Lawrence Township, is charged with second degree Theft by Deception after an investigation...

An Akron man will spend 10 years in prison for leading a mortgage fraud scheme in Northeast Ohio and Florida, according to federal prosecutors. Jack R. Coppenger, 50, appeared in federal court Monday after previously pleading guilty to two counts of conspiracy. U.S. District Judge John Adams called Coppenger an “economic predator” and said he would determine the amount of restitution Coppenger would pay later. The government requested $35...

DOVER — After pleading guilty to defrauding a dozen friends and neighbors, a former school official will serve at least 18 months in prison and must pay about $278,000 in restitution. While the case is tied to other victims, Nickolas Skaltsis, 62, of 6 Erik Drive, waived the indictment process and pleaded guilty to three counts of theft by deception and one count of theft by misappropriation of property. Dover resident Gary Green, who was taken...

The Michigan Attorney General’s Office has charged two Metro Detroit men with operating a mortgage fraud business that allegedly cheated 272 customers out of thousands. Jeffrey Baker, 45, of Detroit, and Leroy Yeargin, Jr., 44, of Southfield, were both charged Monday in Wayne County Circuit Court for their suspected roles in running a fraudulent mortgage modification business that was formed in 2010.

ST. GEORGE — Fifth District Court personnel will make a third attempt to sentence a Washington City resident next month following his conviction on fraud charges that involved the diversion of nearly $800,000 earmarked for St. George and Mesquite building projects.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A Medina builder of luxury homes and six other people have been accused in U.S. District Court in Cleveland of conspiring to commit mortgage fraud after the builder ran into financial problems because he could not sell the houses.

PLATTSBURGH — Plattsburgh Housing Authority is taking legal action against its former director, seeking nearly $600,000. The Housing Authority filed a summons with notice in State Supreme Court in Clinton County against Lori A. Cantwell.

TULSA, OKLAHOMA—United States Attorney for the Northern District of Oklahoma Danny C. Williams Sr., joined by members of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies and community counseling services, today announced a first series of arrests as the result of the Violent Crime Initiative to remove violent offenders from the 61st Street and Peoria Avenue area.

CANTON — Two Stark Metropolitan Housing Authority employees have been fired, and the agency’s books and operational procedures are undergoing a federal review to fix numerous issues following a scathing report accusing the agency of improperly spending at least hundreds of thousands of federal tax dollars.

HARTFORD — A federal jury took less than an hour Tuesday to find Deowraj Buddhu guilty of running a debt-reduction scam that left his financially struggling victims with deeper money troubles. Buddhu, 70, of Wethersfield was found guilty of six counts of mail fraud and seven counts of "fictitious obligations." The verdict was announced shortly before 3:30 p.m. after the jury had deliberated for about 50 minutes. It followed nine days of...

Remember when federal Judge Jed Rakoff scared the bejesus out of Wall Street in 2011? That’s when he refused to sign off on a $285-million civil settlement between Citigroup and the Securities and Exchange Commission over a massive mortgage fraud case.

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama - A former real estate lawyer from Birmingham was sentenced today to two years in prison for wire fraud in a mortgage scheme that exceeded $1 million over five years.

The Harris County Housing Authority could be forced to pay back millions of dollars to the federal government following an audit by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The regional inspector general for HUD concluded the county housing authority had mismanaged up to $27.5 million in federal funds and ignored a $3.8 million debt. It recommended policy changes, administrative actions against individuals at fault and for the...

(Source: HUD) -- The nation’s largest mortgage servicers have failed eight of the servicing standards in the National Mortgage Settlement according to a report released by Joseph A. Smith, Jr., Monitor of the National Mortgage Settlement. The Monitor’s testing through the end of last year resulted in three testing fails, and there are five additional fails in 2013. The following is a statement released today by HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan:

Testimony of the Honorable David A. Montoya Inspector General before the United States Senate Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies on the Federal Housing Administration (6/04/2013)