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Ethan Ellner, 54, Plainview, New York, pleaded guilty to three counts of Grand Larceny 2nd degree, one count of Conspiracy 4th degree and one count of Scheme to Defraud 1st degree on charges stemming from the indictment wherein Ellner, George Guldi, a former Suffolk County Legislator and others were charged with grand larceny,

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Gavin Gee, director of the Idaho Department of Finance, announced the signing of an updated agreement to cooperatively work with other state mortgage regulators in overseeing the activities of state-licensed mortgage companies operating across state lines.

Gee said that all 50 state mortgage regulators, as well as regulators from the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, have signed a Nationwide Cooperative Agreement

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“Operation Stolen Hope”

admin —  November 30, 2009 — 2 Comments

Federal Trade Commission Chairman Jon Leibowitz, joined by U.S. Senator Harry Reid, Nevada Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto, and Assistant Attorney General Tony West of the Civil Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, announced Operation Stolen Hope as part of a continuing federal-state crackdown on mortgage foreclosure rescue and loan modification scams. The operation involves 118 actions by 26 federal and state agencies.

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Godwin Asifo, 55, Woodbridge, Virginia, was sentenced to 57 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for running a mortgage fraud scheme that resulted in the foreclosure of at least three homes in northern Virginia. He was also ordered to pay $546,685.20 in restitution.

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Kevin M. O’Connell, 35, Albany, New York pled guilty to a one-count information charging him with the felony offense of laundering of monetary instruments in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1956(a)(1)(A)(i), in connection with his role in an extensive mortgage fraud scheme that defrauded financial institutions and other mortgage lenders of over $5.3 million in loans.

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Mark Strodtman, 52, Windsor, Coloarado, was found guilty of 23 criminal counts including, COCCA – Pattern of Racketeering (a class two felony; punishable by up to 48 years in prison if aggravating circumstances are met), Theft $15,000 or more 11 counts (a class three felony; punishable by up to 24 years in prison per count). Forgery – check / commercial instrument 11 counts (a class five felony; punishable by up to 6

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Brian K. Jackson, 38, Anaheim, California, was indicted by the Federal Grand Jury in Las Vegas on October 21, 2009, and charged with Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud, Mail Fraud, and Wire Fraud. Jackson was arrested in the Los Angeles area, and appeared before a U.S. Magistrate Judge there and was released on a $50,000 surety bond. Jackson

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A nine-month-long Mortgage Fraud Surge investigation in Florida has resulted in charges against more than 100 defendants and involves allegations concerning more than $400 million in loans procured by fraud and more than 700 properties. United States Attorney A. Brian Albritton is holding events throughout the middle district of Florida to highlight the announcement.

There are currently mortgage fraud-related charges pending against approximately 500 defendants in federal mortgage

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Ammar Dean Halloum, 46, Phoenix, Arizona, a former real estate agent, has pleaded guilty to felony charges in connection with a fraudulent real estate transaction with an elderly Tucson resident.

At a hearing before Judge Richard S. Fields in Pima County Superior Court, Halloum pleaded guilty to one count of theft/financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult and one count of

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Noel Albanes-Gomez, formerly of Miami, Florida, was convicted on Thursday, October 22, 2009, of conspiracy and mail fraud charges for his participation in a mortgage fraud scheme. Sentencing has been scheduled for Friday, January 22, 2010, before the U.S. District Court Judge Jose E. Martinez. Albanes-Gomez and his co-defendants were originally indicted in January of 2009, as Continue Reading...