Tuesday, May 02, 2006
Possible Forged Deed Responsible for Woman’s Eviction in Illinois
Media sources report that a Cook County Illinois woman may have been the victim of theft by deed but no charges have been filed against the alleged perpetrator.
Judith Ahrens, an out-of-work nurse in the spring of 2004, was facing a possible foreclosure for falling behind on the payments on her $93,000 mortgage. Todd Hansen, Rockford, Illinois native, told Ahrens he could stop the sale of her house. Hansen, who was released from prison on April 17, 2006 on an unrelated securities prosecution, appears to have filed a deed transferring the property out of Ahrens name and into that of Cronus Projects LLC. Relatives of Ahrens contend that her signature was forged on the land deed.
Hansen has a history of white-collar crimes including a 1993 theft conviction and a 1994 federal fraud charge. He began working with his father, George Hansen, in the real estate business around 1999. Several civil and criminal litigations plagued the father and son team in relation to their real estate transactions; George is currently serving a 60-year sentence for the 2004 murder of the bookkeeper of a Rockford home remodeling company.
Cronus Projects LLC searches for distressed properties where owners have fallen behind on mortgages or tax payments, negotiates a purchase and then resells the properties for a profit. Hansen appears to have assisted Cronus in obtaining five other properties in llinois. Joe Varan, the president of Cronus, was the notary public attesting to the authenticity of Ahrens signature on the land deed to her property. Varan, however, has no recollection of notarizing the document.
Authorities are strapped for resources in investigating and prosecuting mortgage fraud. Currently they focus on cases with several hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses. There may be little hope for this crime to be fully investigated or for charges to be filed.
mortgage fraud
I do not believe someone would do this! Some people deserve better and are trying to re-establish their lives, and then something like this happens. It just shouldn’t, period.
Posted by on 06/21 at 04:37 PM
Joe Varan is the biggest fraud!! Do not trust this man. He is a sick and twisted individual who video tapes evictions.
Posted by on 08/28 at 05:37 PM
Dear Matt, I heard that some people tape evictions to make sure no one lies and said something illegal happened. Some people get sorta mad when someone takes their home even though they are the ones who stopped paying their payments. Go figure. In my opinion, it is the banks that lend money to people who can’t afford it who are the “sick and twisted” individuals (ok, corporations ...)
Posted by on 01/14 at 08:57 PM
Dear John,
I couldn’t agree with you more. It is the banks who exploit the consumer. Most foreclosures are NOT the fault of the person buying the foreclosed property. Obviously it appears that Mr Hansen was acting improperly but to hold Cronus responsible for the mortgage holder to default is inappropriate.
Posted by on 02/18 at 06:44 AM
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Some Sources require Registration.
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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.
More Trial Coverage
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Rachel 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 
