Mortgage Fraud Blog is the premier website for news and information on mortgage fraud and real estate fraud throughout the United States.
imageRachel Dollar, the editor of Mortgage Fraud Blog, is an attorney and Certified Mortgage Banker who handles litigation for lending institutions and secondary market investors. She is an author and a nationally recognized speaker on the topic of mortgage fraud. Ms. Dollar is a shareholder with the law firm of Smith Dollar, PC, is licensed to practice law in California and maintains offices in Santa Rosa, California. Email Ms. Dollar

Mortgage Fraud Blog is co-sponsored by Interthinx the leading provider of fraud services and solutions for the mortgage industry.



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Wednesday, January 09, 2008

Illinois Loan Officer Sentenced to 20 Months

Rhonda Torossian, Rockford, Illinois, was sentenced to 20 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release for her role in mortgage fraud scheme to defraud HUD.

As previously reported by Mortgage Fraud Blog, Torossian, pled guilty to count one of the indictment charging her with conspiring to defraud the United States by causing the Department of Housing and Urban Development through the Federal Housing Adminstration to insured loans for unqualified persons.  Torossian has agreed to cooperate with the government’s continued case.  Cesar Arenas is the only remaining defendant that has not plead guilty.  Arenas proceeds to trial in October, 2007.

An Illinois grand jury returned a thirty-five count indictment charging conspiracy to defraud HUD in connection with a fraud for commission scheme.  The following five people allegedly defrauded the federal government out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Rhonda Torossian, 44, Rockford, Illinois; alleged to have been employed as a loan officer by Prism Mortgage, 4960 East State Street, Rockford, Illinois (which changed its name to RBC Mortgage Company in 2002);

Cesar Arenas, 42, Rockford, Illinois, alleged to have been a real estate agent in a realty firm in Rockford, Illinois;

Nancy Rodriguez, 34, Rockford, Illinois, alleged to have worked for Prism/RBC as assistant to Torossian;

Raul Raygoza, 36, Rockford, Illinois, alleged to have owned and operated ”Friends Furniture,” a Rockford, Illinois furniture store, along with Quintero; and

Israel Quintero, 39, Rockford, Illinois.

According to the indictment, Arenas would refer real estate customers to Torossian to obtain FHA loans for their real estate purchases. As many of these customers did not have valid social security numbers and did not have the required 3% equity investment/ down payment for the properties, Torossian, Arenas and Rodriguez caused false SSNs to be placed on documents submitted to HUD and would create fraudulent official bank checks payable to the customers and as the customers also didn’t have sufficient income to qualify for the mortgage payments, Arenas solicited owners of small business with whom he was acquainted (including Raygoza and Quintero) to sign fraudulent Verification of Employment forms and false credit history letters. Arenas occasionally forged the signatures of small business owners to these documents and would create false W-2’s and paystubs to substantiate the false employment. 

The indictment details multiple transactions that occurred between January 2000 and September 2002.

Rodriguez entered a guilty plea on August 25, 2006 to one count of conspiracy.  The plea agreement states that Arenas would instruct his customers to obtain a valid SSN from a relative or another person and would then provide the number to Torossian who instructed Rodriguez to alter the customers’ social security cards, pay-stubs and W-2’s by inserted the valid SSN that belonged to the other person.  Rodriguez would white out the documents and type in the valid SSN.  She admits to creating false social security cards, pay-stubs and W-2’s repeatedly during her employment and Prism/RBC. For customers that did not have the required 3% equity investment, Rodriguez would create fraudulent official bank checks by ‘whiting out’ the payees and amounts on real official checks, typing in the false payees and amounts and then photocopying the checks. She also admits to creating false official bank checks repeatedly during her employment at Prism/RBC.

Rodriguez faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

 mortgage fraud

   

Posted by Staff Reporter on 01/09/08 at 05:06 AM
Mortgage Fraud LocationsIllinois • Total comments: (4) (0) Trackbacks
  1. This a very good case to bring to the attention of senator Schummer and his new investivgation hearings.I called his office and left a message telling him that if he wanted to see what caused the melt down to contact Mrs Dollar ar and Interthinx.You people have been fighting this fraud for a long time.There are people out here that applaud your efforts.THANK YOU

    Posted by  on  01/10  at  02:48 AM
  2. epodgor@law.stetson.edu

    Pg.1.)

    …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
    MORTGAGE FRAUD, MOTGAGE FRAUD, MORTAGE FRAUD, MORTGAGE FRAUD,
    ……………………………………………………………………………………………

    ENGLISH:

    This is important information regarding the practice(s) of one Annette Norton, of Aurora, Illinois. The matter involves both identity theft, mortgage application deception(s) and other fraudulent practices, on the part of this employee of Washington Mutual.

    To date, only some of those individuals targeted, in the past (indentified here), have been able to be contacted; in order to alert them to the need for them to check both their credit reports for erroneous entries, and financial information, in general.

    Also, anyone may use the contact information provided here, in order to allow for these and any other persons to personally contact www. WaMu.com, for purposes of assisting with the investigation of the wrongdoing.

    Home Equity and Personal Account Information:  (800) 788-7000
    (888) 800-8738
    …………………………………………………………………………………….

    SPANISH:

    Ye para todos cual saber ante estas gente, estas importante informacion con respecto a las a practicar anto uno Annette Norton, ante Aurora, Illinois.

    Los material acerca ambos robo ante financiero propio informacion hipteca aplicacion impropio.

    Hastaenora Annette Norton, colaborador ante Washington Mutual Hipteca Compania.

    Pora data, singular unas ante esos individuo meta es nombre aqui - en lo pasado un pocos poseer contacto, adentro a alerta les ante el necesitar para cheque su credito reportaje pues desperfectp exposicion.

    Tombien, vinculo informacion es donar a caber persona victima anto banditos, presura rapido.

    WWW. WaMu.com, por favor, assitir con investigacion anto impropio actus.

    Asilo ahorro, cassa e personal calculo informacion ….

    Seccion: (800) 778-7000
    (888) 800-8738

    Pg. 2.)

    Likely victims of “fraudulent Mortgage practices”:
    (Presumible sacrificios anteo “hipoteca fraude, sequir”):

    32.) Mr. .Paul Harmentor … 373-1437 >

    13.) Rev. M. Louise ….  865-7032 >

    17.) Mr. Gilda Lilder … (708) 343-3039 >

    21.) Mr. & Mrs. Jose Alverez … (708) 466-6997 >

    22.) Mr. & Mrs. Julio Gomez … 547-7354 >

    24.) Mr. & Mrs.  Juan Gonzalez “Now Unlisted ” >

    25.) Mrs. Guadilupe Fernandez … “Now Unlisted”>

    31.) Mr. & Mrs. Flores ….  419-1902 >

    33.) Mr. Carlos Mardios …..  (708) 482-3842 >

    34.) Ms. Phyllis Trotter ….  (630) 451-1419 >

    38.) Mr.& Mrs. Juan Hernadez ..  366- 3589 >

    43.) Mr. Juachim Bradshaw …..  771-5741 >

    44.) Mr. & Mrs. Julio Adeo… (312) 793-7210 >

    49.) Mr. J. Martinez … “Presently, Unlisted >

    Posted by  on  07/07  at  12:53 PM
  3. I believe I’m a victim of mortgage fraud perpetrated by David Brimley & Julie Bird of Impact Net Worth aka NetWorth Solutions, aka Meridius Capital. Also party to this fraud are Derek Elliott and the Elliott Group. I have now lost my home and my life’s savings and don’t want this to happen to anyone else. Can you help?

    Posted by  on  02/04  at  12:01 PM
  4. For more information on James Catledge, David Brimley, Impact Networth etc. visit www.ratupdate.com.

    There is also a link to the scam.com message boards were fellow Elliott group investors are located.

    Posted by  on  04/26  at  02:57 AM

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Previous Articles

TRIAL COVERAGE

Trial coverage provided by Anne Mitchell, Crazy Fish Realty.

F. Jeffrey Miller Update - October 20, 2009

A hearing was held in Topeka, Kansas in front of Judge Julie Robinson. Miller is currently being held pending his sentencing which is set for December 22nd, 2009 at 9:00 a.m.. Steve Vanatta and Hallie Irvin, Miller's codefendants, will be sentenced at that time also.

Several motions were heard this week. One was a motion for Miller to be released pending his sentencing. Miller's attorney, Jeff Morris, argued that the court had dismmissed with predjudice the matter involving Miller's purchase of a commercial lawnmower, violating the court ordered monitoring agreement. He also argued that Miller was not a flight risk and should be released. This motion was denied

Another motion heard by Judge Robinson was that of an escrow account containing proceeds from the sale of Miller's forfeited assets. This account has a balance of $143,000. Attorney Morris argued that his firm was due $100,000 for work done in the Miller matter, to date. The government argued that his 'un-itemized fees' were 'exhorbitant'. The balance of the funds, Morris argued, should be released to the Miller family to help pay for mounting household expenses.

The government argued that the 'Asset Forfeiture Provision' applies down to 'the last penny' and that 'the rights of the victims to made whole are of paramount immportance' and that no routine household expenses like Visa bills, are allowed.

Attorney Morris argues that there is more than enough assets to satisfy the jury's judgement of $2.65 million dollars. The government argues that the estimated value of his assets are only $1.4 million.

The government also stated that Miller has been paid dividends from a company Miller has an ownership interest in; Boreflex. From July, 2008 to present, Miller has been paid $330,509.30 from Boreflex, unbeknownst to the court appointed monitor.

Present in the courtroom was Todd Earnshaw. Earnshaw was indicted along with Miller and others in what is commonly referred to as 'Miller I'. That trial is scheduled to begin on January 11, 2010 in Topeka, Kansas.



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Legal Disclaimer.
The information and notices contained on Mortgage Fraud Blog are intended to summarize recent developments in mortgage fraud cases and mortgage banking matters nationwide. The posts on this site are presented as general research and information and are expressly not intended, and should not be regarded, as legal advice. Much of the information on this site concerns allegations made in civil lawsuits and in criminal indictments. All persons are presumed innocent until convicted of a crime. Readers who have particular questions about mortgage banking, mortgage fraud matters or who believe they require legal counsel should seek the advice of an attorney. The creators, editors and sponsors of Mortgage Fraud Blog do not intend to create a confidential relationship or an attorney-client relationship by communication via or arising from this site.

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