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…

(Source: buffalonews.com) Stephanie W. Cowart, former executive director of the Niagara Falls Housing Authority, admitted Wednesday to working with her son and daughter-in-law to steal $17,580 from the authority and the state. Cowart, who appeared before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara, pleaded guilty to theft of federal funds and acknowledged signing off on a teaching job and a training program that illegally benefited the couple. Allen…

Buffalo, N.Y. –U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Stephanie W. Cowart, 58, of Grand Island, NY, pleaded guilty to theft concerning programs receiving federal funds before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. In addition, Cowart’s son and daughter in-law, Allen, 31, and Fredia, 28, both of Niagara Falls, NY, pleaded guilty to a…

NEWS RELEASE For Immediate Distribution November 29, 2017 LOS ANGELES – A longtime fugitive was named today in a nine-count indictment that alleges he participated in a $9 million loan fraud scheme that targeted Wells Fargo Bank. Napoleon Olarte, 40, who is believed to be in Venezuela after fleeing the United States approximately eight years ago, was indicted late this afternoon by a federal grand jury. The indictment alleges that…

(Source: longisland.com) Brooklyn, NY - November 27, 2017 - Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman announced that Brooklyn real estate developer Daniel Melamed pleaded guilty today in Kings County Supreme Court to a 13-count indictment, including Residential Mortgage Fraud in the Second Degree and two counts of Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, class C felonies; as well as four counts of Forgery in the Second Degree, four counts of Criminal…

John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that URMILA SRI THAKUR, also known as Urmila Buddhu-Thakur and Indro Buddhu-Thakur, 73, of Wethersfield, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to four years of probation, the first four months of which THAKUR must serve in home confinement, for her role in a fraudulent debt elimination scheme. According to court documents and…

A former Hubbard attorney who gave up his law practice as he was about to disciplined now faces federal charges. Federal authorities have issued a bill of information charging Richard James Lacivita with bank fraud and making a false statement on on a loan. In most cases, prosecutors issue a bill of information instead of an indictment when the defendant intends to plead guilty to the charge or charges. Lacivita, who now lives in Canfield,…

BOSTON – A Taunton woman was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for concealing information and making false statements in order to receive Social Security disability benefits and Section 8 housing assistance to which she was not entitled.    Marisha Ebanks, 41, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to four months in prison, three years of supervised release, with the first three months to be…

(Source: bgdailynews.com) The former owner of a company involved in the short sales of houses subject to foreclosure admitted in court Friday to defrauding the Federal Housing Administration. Deena Brooks pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Louisville to a count of making a false statement or report to the FHA. The case against Brooks was unsealed Friday. Brooks was the president and sole owner and operator of Kentucky Promise and also…

(Source: ocregister.com) SANTA ANA — A Coto De Caza man who in YouTube videos promised to help homeowners save their homes from foreclosure was sentenced Friday to eight years in prison after bilking more than 500 people out of $2.2 million. Kevin Frank Rasher, who earlier this year pleaded guilty to a dozen counts of mail fraud, was sentenced to 97 months behind bars and ordered to pay about $2.24 million in restitution for the money he stole…

Joon H. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Dane Narode, Associate General Counsel for Program Enforcement for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”), and Christina Scaringi, the Special Agent in Charge of HUD’s Office of the Inspector General (“HUD-OIG”), Northeast Region, announced today that the United States has settled a civil mortgage fraud lawsuit against RESIDENTIAL HOME…

Portland, Maine:  Acting United States Attorney Richard W. Murphy announced that Jamie Hussey, 35, of Gorham, Maine, was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court by Judge D. Brock Hornby to three months in prison and one year of supervised release for federal program fraud.  She was also ordered to pay $92,877 in restitution. Court records show that between February 2014 and September 2016, the defendant embezzled money from the…

(Source: cleveland19.com) CLEVELAND, OH (WOIO) -A Cuyahoga County Grand Jury has indicted Cleveland's alleged Facebook Scammer Zienup Sbeih. Monday morning, Cleveland Metropolitan Housing Authority Police presented their case seeking an indictment on at least five counts for Housing and Food Stamp Fraud. The indictment came down with seven counts total, including five counts of Tampering with Evidence, one count of Grand Theft and one count of…

ATLANTA – Erica D. Morris has been charged with making more than $35,000 in personal purchases on a merchant credit card that the Covington Housing Authority issued her for work-related purchases. “Morris abused her position with Covington Housing Authority by ringing up more than $35,000 in personal charges,” said U.S. Attorney John A. Horn. “In effect, Morris diverted money earmarked for the low-income families for which the Covington…

(Source: covnews.com) ATLANTA – Erica D. Morris has been charged with making more than $35,000 in personal purchases on a merchant credit card that the Covington Housing Authority issued her for work-related purchases. “Morris abused her position with Covington Housing Authority by ringing up more than $35,000 in personal charges,” U.S. Attorney John A. Horn said. “In effect, Morris diverted money earmarked for the low-income families for…

CAMDEN, N.J. – The former executive director of the Ocean City, New Jersey, Housing Authority (OCHA) was sentenced today to three years of probation for embezzling federal funds received by authority from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Acting U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick announced. Alesia Watson, 54, of Galloway Township, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen M. Williams to…