NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County man was sentenced today to time already served – 20 months – for conspiring to commit mortgage fraud, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. 

Cabral Simpson, 47, of Orange, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Kevin McNulty to Count One of an indictment charging him with conspiring to commit wire fraud. U.S. District Judge Julien X. Neals imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.

According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court:

Simpson, a real estate investor, and his conspirators engaged in mortgage fraud by creating fake bank statements and fake employee verification records for buyers of properties and transferring money into the buyers’ bank accounts for payment of the deposit for a property. Simpson and his conspirators submitted fraudulent mortgage loan applications, supporting documents, and closing documents on behalf of the buyers. They also induced lenders to issue more than $1 million in loans, resulting in defaults and exposing the lenders and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to more than $1 million in losses.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Neals sentenced Simpson to two years of supervised release and ordered restitution of $1.29 million.

U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development – Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Janine Rocheleau in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Kogan of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Cybercrime Unit in Newark.