HOUSTON – A 45-year-old Houston area resident has pleaded guilty to fraudulently applying for and receiving a newly rebuilt house worth $314,000, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.Christopher Montealegre admitted to one count of theft of government funds after he knowingly applied for relief intended for victims the hurricane impacted through a program the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) administered. Montealegre…

Program Focused on Eliminating Environmental Hazards and Combatting Sexual Misconduct in HUD-Assisted Housing.Baltimore, Maryland – United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Inspector General Rae Oliver Davis hosted a seminar today focused on promoting the health and safety of tenants living in HUD-assisted housing by focusing on eliminating environmental hazards…

WACO, Texas – An Austin woman was arrested this week on criminal charges related to her alleged embezzlement of federal funds for personal use while serving as the executive director of the Killeen Housing Authority (KHA).According to court documents, DeAdra Johnson, 52, allegedly stole thousands of dollars designated for KHA programs and used them for personal use. A federal indictment alleges that Johnson used the stolen funds to pay for…

LAREDO, Texas – A 38-year-old man was sentenced for his role in a complex mortgage fraud scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.Edmundo De La Torre pleaded guilty April 19 to orchestrating a mortgage fraud scheme in which he altered hundreds of documents to get otherwise unqualified buyers’ approval for government-backed mortgages.U.S. District Judge Marina Marmalejo has now ordered De La Torre to serve 36 months in federal prison to…

McALLEN, Texas - A 51-year-old Rio Grande City resident and employee of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has been charged with bribery of public officials and witnesses, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.  Roberto Rodriguez, 51, turned himself in to authorities today. He is expected to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Scott Hacker at 9 a.m. Also taken into custody and appearing today are Jose…

HOUSTON – A 61-year-old man has been sent to federal prison following his conviction of money laundering as well as conspiracy to commit and committing wire fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. A federal jury deliberated for approximately half a day following an eight-day trial before returning a guilty verdict Sept. 20, 2022, on all counts against Clarence Roland III. Today, U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal ordered Roland to…

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Philip Abramowitz, age 50, of Pikesville, Maryland, Maryland to one year in federal prison and one year of home detention, followed by three years of supervised release, for a wire fraud conspiracy for fraudulently obtaining federally insured home loans.  Judge Bennett also ordered Abramowitz to pay $373,684 in restitution and forfeit $493,037. The sentence was…

Baltimore, Maryland – Philip Abramowitz, age 50, of Pikesville, Maryland, pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.  As part of his guilty plea, Abramowitz will be ordered to pay $373,684 in restitution. The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron and Special Agent in Charge Shawn A. Rice of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector…

McALLEN, Texas – The former mayor of La Joya and two others have been ordered to federal prison for wire fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery. Former mayor Jose Adolfo Salinas, 83, pleaded guilty July 19, 2021, while his daughter - Frances Salinas De Leon, 54 - and Ramiro Alaniz, 40, both admitted to their guilt June 17, 2021. All are from La Joya Today, U.S. District Judge Randy Crane sentenced Salinas to 33 months in prison,…

Defendants Allegedly Falsified Bank Statements, Misrepresented Ownership Intentions, and Allegedly Made False Statements on a Loan Application Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Philip Abramowitz, age 50, of Pikesville, Maryland, with bank fraud and conspiracy to commit bank fraud and Calvin Abramowitz, age 48, of Lakewood, New Jersey, with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, and for making…

Defendant Posed as HUD Contractor to Facilitate a Fraudulent Lien Release and Sale of Her Home Greenbelt, Maryland – Tammy Jones, a/k/a “Tammy Taylor”, age 53, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, pleaded guilty yesterday to wire fraud in connection with a mortgage fraud scheme.  As part of her plea agreement, Jones will be required to pay $111,377.12 in restitution. The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of…

TYLER, Texas – U.S. Attorney Stephen J. Cox announced today that six individuals have been arrested pursuant to a federal indictment alleging money laundering violations. “The threat posed by transnational organized crime is continuing to increase,” said U.S. Attorney Stephen J. Cox.  “Of particular concern to us is the financial exploitation of older Americans by foreign-based crime rings.  These villains are located thousands of…