McALLEN — He was just a cook at Stilettos Cabaret, a gentleman’s bar here, when Armando Jimenez met Juan Jose “JJ” Garza, the former executive director of the La Joya Housing Authority. Jimenez wanted to try something other than cooking to make a living, especially to help his daughter financially with school, so when Garza offered to work together in construction, he took it. This led to Jimenez and Garza now having to serve time in prison. On…

CHICAGO (CBS) — It’s back to jail, at least for now, for a man accused of defrauding more than 100 Chicago seniors. CBS 2’s Jim Williams reports a federal judge hasn’t yet decided if Mark Diamond should be released on bond. Barbara Bailey’s mother was a victim. She says she wants the man responsible to stay in jail. “If Mr. Diamond is out, he can still go into the neighborhood or contact people to still scheme and defraud people,” says Bailey.…

CHICAGO -- A man accused of scamming elderly Chicagoans out of their homes was in federal court Thursday for a bond hearing. Prosecutors want the judge to deny bond for Mark Diamond. He and an alleged accomplice, Cynthia Wallace, are charged with fraud. Prosecutors say they conned people into fake reverse mortgages, swindling $10 million. There are 120 victims, mostly black women on the South and West sides. Some have died.

(Source: clickondetroit) ST. CLAIR COUNTY, Mich. - The former executive of the St. Clair Housing Commission was sentenced Wednesday in connection with the conspiracy to commit fraud and steal more than $336,000 in federal funds. Lorena Loren was sentenced to 37 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiring to commit federal program fraud, U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider said. Loren, 55, of Nicholls, Georgia, admitted to conspiring with…

Lorena Loren, the former executive director of the St. Clair Housing Commission, was sentence today to 37 months in federal prison after having pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit federal program fraud, announced United States Attorney Matthew Schneider. Schneider was joined in the announcement by Brad Geary, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and Jeffery E. Peterson, Acting Special Agent in…

(Source: news-gazette) ROSSVILLE — All five members of the Vermilion County Housing Authority Board of Commissioners resigned Monday night out of frustration with federal officials' handling of an unpaid loan that's resulted in Longview Bank and Trust filing suit against the housing authority. Former Commissioner Terry Prillaman announced at the close of Monday night's regular meeting in Rossville that he was resigning, even though he was not a…

NEWARK, N.J. - Five individuals were arrested this morning and charged with using phony money orders, cashier’s checks, receipts and other fabricated documents to fraudulently discharge mortgages, student loans, and other financial obligations, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced. Melissa Reynolds, 42, of Elizabeth, New Jersey, is charged by complaint with three counts of conspiracy to commit bank and mail fraud, two counts of bank fraud,…

LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced today that the former Duson Housing Authority director pleaded guilty to stealing more than $110,000 in funds. Patsy Clark, 60, of Duson, La., pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Patrick Hanna on one count of federal program theft. The plea will become final after it is approved by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote. According to the guilty plea, Clark was the…

(Source: Tulsa World) A former Tulsa Housing Authority executive pleaded guilty Wednesday in federal court to a misdemeanor charge of submitting fraudulent audits to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. LaDeanna Anderson, 55, former THA executive vice president and chief operating officer, faces a sentence of up to one year in prison and a $100,000 fine after pleading guilty before a magistrate in Tulsa federal court. Assistant…

(Source: fox23.com) News Video: Former Tulsa Housing Authority Execs Face Possible prison time.

The Justice Department announced today that Deloitte & Touche LLP has agreed to pay the United States $149.5 million to resolve potential False Claims Act liability arising from Deloitte’s role as the independent outside auditor of Taylor, Bean & Whitaker Mortgage Corp. (TBW), a failed originator of mortgage loans insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) in the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). “With taxpayer…

Lonnie Brantley Jr. avoided prison by striking a plea deal for lying to federal housing regulators during an investigation into his troubled mortgage lending business. But almost three years after his 2015 conviction, Brantley is facing the prospect of being locked up. That’s because he has repeatedly dodged his $3.3 million restitution obligation, prosecutors say, while living in a 5,300-square-foot Southlake home, driving luxury vehicles and…

NEWARK N.J. – A Nutley, New Jersey, man was charged today with using fraudulent documents to deceive his employer into approving a loan, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced. Richard Patino, 42, is charged by complaint with one count of wire fraud. He made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cathy L. Waldor in Newark federal court and was released on bail. According to the complaint: Patino was a loan officer with a mortgage…

Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Dirk Hall was sentenced by United States District Judge Eric N. Vitaliano to 41 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release, after having pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud in connection with a multi-million dollar mortgage fraud scheme. Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, announced the sentencing…

A Seattle woman who defrauded programs aimed at assisting the neediest in our community was sentenced today in federal court to three years of probation, announced U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes.  DEKA HIRSI, 39, lied to obtain subsidized housing from the Seattle Housing Authority, falsely claimed that her only employment was working all night caring for her elderly parents, and claimed benefits for overnight daycare stays for her five…

BOSTON – A Methuen real estate broker 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. Greisy Jimenez, 50, pleaded guilty to two counts of bank fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Mark L. Wolf scheduled sentencing for April 24, 2018.  In March 2017, co…

(Source app.com) The former executive director of the Asbury Park Housing Authority admitted to misappropriating around $90,000 from the organization to unilaterally give himself a $50,000 salary hike, and to pay for spa services, in-room movies at hotels, strip clubs and stretch limos to take him and his family to and from the airport, according to the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office. Mark W. Holmes Sr., 56, of Lawrence, who is also a…

TRENTON, N.J. – The former Jersey City Chief of Police today admitted defrauding the Jersey City Housing Authority (JCHA) by obtaining compensation for off-duty work that he did not perform, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.  Philip D. Zacche, 61, of Manalapan, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Freda L. Wolfson in Trenton federal court to an information charging him with one count of embezzling, stealing,…

John H. Durham. United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DARRYLL HARMON, 44, of Stratford, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport to one count of bankruptcy fraud. According to court documents and statements made in court, HARMON was in default on his HUD-insured mortgage, which was held by the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority (“CHFA…

CHICAGO — The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago has charged two suburban mortgage brokers with fraudulently operating a purportedly independent appraisal management company to control property valuations, and brokering fraudulent loans to finance real estate transactions between themselves and nominees. STEVEN L. GARCIA and his brother, MICHAEL R. GARCIA, operated American Financial Mortgage Services Inc., a licensed mortgage brokerage in…