Six individuals, including a condominium developer and two attorneys, are facing federal charges for allegedly engaging in a $22.8 million mortgage loan fraud scheme. The defendants allegedly caused buyers to fraudulently obtain approximately 60 mortgages from various lenders to purchase condominiums.
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Daniel Ira Colton, 64, Annapolis, Maryland and Raleigh, North Carolina, was sentenced to two years in prison followed by three years of supervised release for conspiracy to commit extortion and to making false statements. Colton offered money, entertainment, mortgage payments, and monetary and in-kind campaign contributions to state and local government officials in exchange for favorable official actions, including assisting in the acquisition of surplus property and land from the county for development by Day Homes.
Stephen Mayer, 50, Miami Beach, Florida, has been indicted and charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud affecting a financial institution. Mayer allegedly bought at least 24 properties, reselling them (usually on the same day) to his “investors,” netting a profit of approximately $1,528,790.
Abbe Edelman, 50, Livingston, New Jersey, was arrested at his home by federal law enforcement officers on charges that he allegedly ran a real estate investment scheme that bilked victims out of $4 million.
Randy Lee Wilkins, 48, Gilroy, California, was sentenced to four years and nine months in prison for carrying out a mortgage fraud scheme in Fresno, California.The defendant and his co-conspirators defrauded lenders by using fraudulent loan applications misrepresenting their income, assets, liabilities and intent to occupy the residences.
Taimur Aurora, 40, Stamford, Connecticut, waived his right to indictment and pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall to conspiring to defraud financial institutions through an extensive mortgage fraud scheme that involved dozens of properties in Fairfield County, Connecticut.
Jeong Joon Moon, a/k/a Patrick Moon, 46, Germantown, Maryland, has been indicted on charges arising from a scheme to defraud financial institutions.
Delio Coutinho, 71, Colonia, New Jersey, admitted his role in a large-scale mortgage fraud scheme that caused millions of dollars in losses. The defendant conspired with others to release liens on encumbered properties via fraudulently arranged short sale transactions.
Rodney Watts, 42, Bronxville, New York, the former chief investment officer of GDC Acquisitions LLC (GDC), was sentenced in federal court in Brooklyn, New York, to 37 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. The charges against the defendant arose out of a scheme to defraud Amalgamated Bank, GDC’s asset-based lender, of $21 million in fraudulent loans.
Trina Tahir, 58, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, has been sentenced to twenty-four months in federal prison and ordered to pay $382,290.82 in restitution for her role in obtaining fraudulent mortgage loans.