Ten defendants, including five licensed loan originators, were indicted for allegedly participating in a scheme to fraudulently obtain approximately 52 residential mortgage loans totaling at least $14.5 million from various lenders.
Daniela Spiridon, 42, St. Charles, Missouri, pled guilty to a real estate scheme related to the purchase or sale of properties.
Chad Allen Lazzari, 45, Tarpon Springs, Florida, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge James D. Whittemore to 15 months in federal prison for wire fraud and making false statements to federally-insured banks.
Sean Patrick Gjerde, 37, Elk Grove, California, was sentenced by United States District Judge John A. Mendez to two and a half years in prison for conspiring to commit mortgage fraud and make false statements in loan applications.
John Parisi, 52, Atlantic City, New Jersey, admitted he conspired to defraud FirstPlus Financial Group Inc. (FPFG), a Texas-based financial services company allegedly targeted for extortionate takeover and looting by a group led by alleged Lucchese organized crime family member Nicodemo S. Scarfo.
Shawn Dicken, 39, Bay City, Michigan, is the subject of felony charges for her alleged role in an extensive multi-county Ponzi scheme.
John Michael Stevens, 47, Lakeville, Minnesota, pleaded guilty for his role in a scheme to defraud mortgage lenders in connection with the sale of condominiums at the Chateau Ridge development in Burnsville, Minnesota.
Pedro Benevides, 44, Astatula, Florida, has been indicted and charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, nine counts of bank fraud, and nine counts of making false statements to financial institutions. If convicted, Benevides faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison and a $1million fine for each of the nineteen charged counts.
Dwight A. Etheridge, 49, Chesapeake, Virginia, was sentenced to 50 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, false statements to a financial institution, and aiding and abetting misapplication of bank funds.
Lisa Marie Scarfo, 34, Elmer, New Jersey, the wife of a reputed mob figure admitted she conspired to defraud a mortgage lender in order to buy a $715,000 house in Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey.