U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Financial Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. Stephen Begg, Deputy Inspector General, Office of the Inspector General, Department of Housing and Urban Development.     Transcript

NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man will be arraigned today on charges that he engaged in a conspiracy to commit mortgage fraud that resulted in potential losses in excess of $1 million, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced. Cabral Simpson, 43, of Belleville, New Jersey, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Leda Dunn Wettre in Newark federal court. He is charged by indictment with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and…

The Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery program, House of Representatives Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies (THUD). Jeremy Kirkland, Counsel to the Inspector General was a witness. Click here to watch.

(Source: jerseyshoreonline.com) MANAHAWKIN – An investigation arrested and charged two Manahawkin contractors for failing to perform contracted work on homes damaged by Superstorm Sandy, announced Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer.   The couple, 44-year old Adam Nevius and 50-year old Kimberly Atkinson, was arrested and charged with Failure to Make Required Disposition. Atkinson was also charged with one count of Theft by Deception, for her…

The Administration of Disaster Recovery Funds in the Wake of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, House Financial Services Committee, subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. Jeremy Kirkland, Counsel to the Inspector General was a witness.  Click here to watch.

TRENTON, N.J. – A Passaic County, New Jersey, man and a Bergen County, New Jersey, man have been arraigned for their respective roles in a reverse mortgage scheme that took advantage of several elderly homeowners, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced today. Rafael Peralta, 46, of Clifton, New Jersey, and Philip Puccio Jr., 40, of Mahwah, New Jersey, were indicted Feb. 8, 2019, by a federal grand jury on one count of conspiracy to commit bank…

(Source: jerseyshoreonline.com) OCEAN COUNTY – Yet another two have been convicted for fraud for filing false applications for relief following Superstorm Sandy, announced Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal. Nikola Lulaj, 45, of Seaside Heights and his wife, Majlinda Lulaj, 32, have been found guilty of filing fraudulent applications for federal relief funds in the amount of $187,000. Nikola is an officer with the Hoboken Police Department. The…

Universal American Mortgage Company LLC (UAMC) has agreed to pay the United States $13.2 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by falsely certifying that it complied with Federal Housing Administration (FHA) mortgage insurance requirements in connection with certain loans, the Department of Justice announced today.  UAMC is a mortgage lender headquartered in Miami, Florida. “Mortgage lenders may not ignore…