Mortgage Fraud Blog is the premier website for news and information on mortgage fraud and real estate fraud throughout the United States.
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 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.
Real Estate Agent Pleads Not Guilty In Ohio Fraud Scheme
Scott McCann, 45, Columbus, Ohio, has been arraigned and plead not guilty to charges stemming from a mortgage fraud scheme involving several Ohio properties. McCann was released on $100,000 bond with strict orders not to contact other persons involved in the scheme.
As previously reported by Mortgage Fraud Blog, Gihan Ahmed Ismail Zalat aka Gigi Zalat, 40, Columbus, Ohio, and McCann, were separately indicted for engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, aggravated theft, money laundering and receiving stolen property.
Zalat is a former co-owner of the Happy Greek restaurant, South Campus Gateway, Ohio. McCann is a real-estate agent and former mortgage broker. The scheme took place between 2005 and 2007, and involved false documentation and misrepresentations in loan applications, property flips, the use of inflated appraisals and unauthorized kickbacks disguised as construction monies for home improvement. The 6 Ohio properties included in the indictment (partially redacted) are:
XXX9 Loch Levin;
XXX8 Willow Bend Lane;
XXX8 Coldwater Drive;
XXX2 Sierra Drive;
XXX7 Royal County Down;
XXX5 Coachmen; and
XXX2 Grennan Woods, all of the Dublin and Powell area, Ohio.
According to the indictment, the monies obtained in the scheme were laundered through oversea shell corporations in an effort to disguise the origin of the funds.
This is some of the activity that added in this housing bubble and I hope they prosecuted to the full extent of the law. We need to send a signal that lender defraud is bad.
Defaulted Loans May Haunt Seniors On Line WSJ.Com
A little-noticed law could soon result in smaller Social Security checks for hundreds of thousands of the elderly and disabled who owe the U.S. money from defaulted loans and other debts more than a decade old.
Oregon to Help Homeowners Prevent Foreclosures CBS State
As part of an ongoing effort to help homeowners avoid foreclosure, state agencies are organizing a foreclosure-prevention event in Bend on Saturday, March 27, 2010.
Couple Loses $850,000 in Alleged Ponzi Scheme Boston Herald
Al and Susan McIlvene of Kittery Point, Maine, can remember the exact moment in November when they realized they might lose their entire life savings of $850,000, reports the Portsmouth Herald.
Mortgage Fraud Charges Filed Against Former Bakersfield Realtor, Her father KGET.Com
A former Bakersfield real estate agent and her father face 15 felony counts each of money laundering, conspiracy and grand theft in connection with an alleged multi-million dollar mortgage fraud scheme, newly filed court charges show.
Witness: Mortgage Name Not the Same Clarion Ledger
A former Clinton homeowner was called to testify Wednesday as prosecutors to try to prove a Ridgeland-based mortgage broker and two associates were behind a $9 million mortgage fraud scheme.
Man Accused of Money Laundering, Theft in Moorpark Home Purchase Case VC Star
A man suspected of grand theft and money laundering in connection with the 2005 purchase of a $1.8 million home in Moorpark was arrested this week while trying to enter the United States from Mexico, authorities said Wednesday.
Special Prosecutor for Leary Rejected Journal Gazette
An Allen Superior Court judge denied a request to appoint a special prosecutor in the case of Todd Leary, a former Indiana University basketball player and radio commentator charged with 17 felonies in connection with a mortgage funds scheme.
Thursday, February 18, 2010 F. Jeffrey Miller Trial Continued Testimony
As reported by Anne Mitchell, who viewed the trial:
Angela Parenza worked for Jeff Miller as the office manager for 7 or 8 years beginning in 1998. Parenza was indicted along with Miller and pled guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and money laundering. Parenza testified that Miller or his contractors allegedly preferred to build all the...
Wednesday, February 10, 2010 F. Jeffrey Miller Trial Coverage Continued - Witness Testimony
Steve Middleton Testimony - Coverage Provided by Anne Mitchell
The Government continued in its cross examination of Steve Middleton. He was shown several HUD-1 statements involving sales of homes located in Overland Park, KS, and Olathe, KS. The HUD statements each allegedly showed line items of payments to (James) Moser & Associates, LLC's...
Monday, February 01, 2010 F. Jeffrey Miller Trial Coverage - Continued Witness Examination
According to Anne Mitchell, who is present in court for the trial:
Next Witness: Kelly Sanford
Kelly Sanford of the Federal Reserve was a short witness for the Government. Sanford manages electronic payments between banks and member financial institutions. He was shown copies of wire transfers and asked whether they coincided with the counts in...
Wednesday, January 27, 2010 F. Jeffrey Miller Trial - Prosecution Witnesses Continued
According to Anne Mitchell, who is viewing the trial:
January 13, 2010
Witness: Rick Hayes
Rick Hayes testified that on the day that he closed on his Miller Enterprise home, he received a phone call from the Kansas Banking Commission informing him that his loan was fraudulent. After the Hayes responded to a classified ad, they met with John...
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.
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 
mortgage fraud
