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Man Arrested for Bilking Seniors with the Promise of Eliminating Mortgage Payments

Stephanie Abbott —  May 22, 2020 — Leave a comment

Carlo Hamrahi, Los Angeles, California, was arrested for bilking Florida seniors, on a warrant issued out of Lee County, Florida. The arrest follows an investigation by DFS and OSP uncovering massive mortgage fraud targeting dozens of seniors.

According to an investigation, Hamrahi, using the alias Roberto Colleoni, defrauded home and business owners in Florida by claiming to be a mortgage fraud investigator. Hamrahi promised targets he could get mortgage payments reduced or eliminated by discovering fraud in loan documents. Hamrahi invited victims to seminars and solicited thousands of dollars in upfront fees for these fraudulent services. Hamrahi defrauded at least 24 victims, many 60 or older.

Authorities in California convicted Hamrahi twice previously of similar crimes on the West Coast. Indiana authorities also convicted Hamrahi on similar charges.

Attorney General Ashley Moody’s Office of Statewide Prosecution and Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis’s Department of Financial Services made the announcement.

Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “For many seniors, their homes are their most valuable asset and a cornerstone of their retirement plan. The defendant in this case used the allure of reducing or eliminating mortgage payments to defraud Florida seniors. He promised them financial freedom and in doing so risked losing his own freedom for decades to come. I want to commend my Statewide Prosecutors and DFS investigators for their diligent efforts in this case. I also want to thank California authorities for apprehending the suspect.”

Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis said, “Orchestrating a fraud scheme to take advantage of Floridians is despicable and it’s especially heinous when it’s our seniors who fall victim. These individuals worked their entire lives to build a nest egg and unfortunately scam artists like this will do anything to steal their money. I thank Attorney General Moody’s Office and my fraud investigators for their hard work together in uncovering this scheme and bringing this fraudster to justice.”

Hamrahi is charged with one count of being involved in an organized scheme to defraud, in violation of F.S. 817.034(4)(1). If convicted, Hamrahi faces up to 30 years in prison. Attorney General Moody’s Assistant Statewide Prosecutor Russell C. Stoddard will prosecute the case.

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Man Sentenced to 12 Years for Mortgage Rescue Fraud Scheme

Stephanie Abbott —  March 17, 2020 — Leave a comment

Aston Wood, 56, New Richmond, Wisconsin and Miami, Florida, was sentenced today to 12 years in federal prison for a mortgage rescue scheme that defrauded more than 70 Wisconsin homeowners.

Between 2014 and 2019, Wood defrauded more than 70 Wisconsin homeowners out of approximately $390,000.  Many homeowners unfortunately lost their homes in connection with the scheme.  Using the names ASC Financial, LLC and Maywood Capital II, LLC, Wood solicited people facing the possibility of foreclosure and represented to them that he could help them stay in their home by obtaining loan refinancing or modification.  He told customers that to stop foreclosures, they needed to immediately begin making mortgage payments towards a new loan as part of a trial period while he worked out the details of the loan with the mortgage lenders.  Wood instructed customers to make these mortgage payments to businesses he controlled under the premise that he would forward the payments to the customers’ mortgage lenders.

Wood was able to collect mortgage payments from homeowners for months, even years, by falsely reassuring them that their payments were going to their mortgage lenders and that new loans were being finalized.  In fact, Wood’s bank records confirmed he deposited the customers’ mortgage payments and spent their money on his own travel and living expenses.  When customers eventually lost their homes in foreclosure, Wood told them that it was due to the mortgage lenders’ greed or negligence.

Wood defrauded some homeowners out of additional money even after they lost their homes by falsely telling them that he would use the money to help them buy back their foreclosed property or use the money to sue the mortgage companies.

As part of his fraud scheme, Wood advised many customers to file bankruptcy in the Western District of Wisconsin.  The automatic stay triggered by the bankruptcy filings temporarily stalled the foreclosures, which extended the time in which Wood could collect the monthly mortgage payments.  In November 2016, the U.S. Trustee’s Office began investigating Wood and in October 2017, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Catherine J. Furay issued an injunction permanently barring Wood from soliciting, offering to perform, or performing services relating to mortgage foreclosure and debt relief.  Despite the court order, however, Wood continued to engage in mortgage rescue fraud under a new business name.

Wood pleaded guilty to wire fraud and bankruptcy fraud on January 6, 2020.

Scott C. Blader, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, made the announcement.

U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson handed down the sentence.

At the sentencing, Judge Peterson called the defendant a professional conman, said that this was “a particularly heartless crime,” and told the defendant that his crime “stands apart from anything I’ve come across in my six years on the bench.”

U.S. Attorney Blader praised the work of the U.S. Trustee’s Office and the law enforcement agents who investigated the criminal case.  U.S. Attorney Blader also urged Wisconsin residents to be alert to this type of fraud.

U.S. Attorney Blader was joined in making the announcement by Robert E. Hughes, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Milwaukee Field Office; Kathy A. Enstrom, Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago Field Office of IRS Criminal Investigation; Catherine Huber, Special Agent in Charge, Central Region, Federal Housing Finance Agency – Office of Inspector General; and Patrick S. Layng, United States Trustee for Region 11.

The following are tips to avoid being a victim of mortgage fraud schemes from the U.S. Department of Treasury and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development:

  • Beware of anyone seeking to charge you in advance for mortgage modification services.  In most cases, charging fees in advance of a mortgage modification is illegal.
  • Only your mortgage company has the discretion to grant a loan modification. Therefore, no third party can guarantee or pre-approve your mortgage modification application.
  • Beware of individuals and companies claiming that your payments should be sent to an alternate contact or address that is different from the information in your mortgage statement.
  • Beware of individuals or companies that offer money-back guarantees or insist on upfront fees and can only accept payment by cash, cashier’s check, or wire transfer.
  • Beware of private individuals claiming to be affiliated with government-backed refinancing programs.

For additional information, see https://www.makinghomeaffordable.gov/get-answers/Pages/get-answers-how-avoid-scams.aspx.

The charges against Wood were the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, IRS Criminal Investigation, and the Federal Housing Finance Agency – Office of Inspector General, with assistance from the Office of the United States Trustee.  The prosecution of the case has been handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith P. Duchemin.

 

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Real Estate Developer Sentenced For Down Payment Fraud

Stephanie Abbott —  February 18, 2020 — Leave a comment

Marek Harrison, 56, Plant City, Florida, has been sentenced to 20 months in federal prison for his role in a bank fraud scheme.

According to court documents, between September 2007 and December 2008,

Harrison created and executed a mortgage fraud scheme involving Saratoga Resort Villas, a condominium conversion of a former hotel located in Kissimmee, Florida. Harrison’s scheme to defraud financial institutions involved kickbacks of mortgage proceeds to buyers and co-conspirators, as well as misrepresentations regarding the source of down payment funds for the transactions. None of the incentives and kickbacks were disclosed to the mortgage lenders. Harrison also recruited otherwise unqualified buyers, and he provided down payment money for the buyers. http://www.mortgagefraudblog.com/?s=Marek+Harrison

The court also ordered Harrison to pay $2,753,495.79 in restitution to the victim financial institutions.

Harrison had pleaded guilty on November 27, 2019.

This case was investigated by the Federal Housing Finance Agency – Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Chris Poor.

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Realtor Convicted of Foreclosure Rescue Scheme

Stephanie Abbott —  February 3, 2020 — Leave a comment

Tanya Firmani, 47, Jacksonville, Florida has been found guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit bankruptcy fraud and six counts of bankruptcy fraud.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Firmani conspired with others in a foreclosure rescue/bankruptcy fraud scheme. Firmani solicited homeowners whose mortgages were in default and offered to rescue their homes from foreclosure. To prevent the Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie Mae”), the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“Freddie Mac”), the Federal Housing Administration (“FHA”), and multiple financial institutions from lawfully foreclosing on homeowners’ properties, Firmani filed or caused the filing of fraudulent bankruptcy petitions in the homeowners’ names just prior to the scheduled foreclosure sale dates. The fraudulent bankruptcies triggered the Bankruptcy Code’s automatic stay provision, preventing Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHA, and the financial institutions from conducting foreclosure sales and obtaining the titles to the properties. The fraudulent bankruptcy petitions enabled Firmani to collect fees and allowed her co-conspirators to obtain ill-gotten commissions for short-sales causing losses to creditors.

Firmani faces a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment on each count. Her sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 21, 2020.

This case was investigated by the Federal Housing Finance Agency – Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development – Office of Inspector General. The Office of United States Trustee for the Middle District of Florida provided substantial investigative assistance. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Chris Poor.

 

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Real Estate Developer Pleads Guilty To Condo Conversion Fraud

Stephanie Abbott —  December 2, 2019 — 1 Comment

Marek Harrison, 56, Plant City, Florida has pleaded guilty to bank fraud.

According to the plea agreement, between September 2007 and December 2008, Harrison created and executed a mortgage fraud scheme involving Saratoga Resort Villas, a condominium conversion of a former hotel located in Kissimmee, Florida.  Harrison’s scheme to defraud financial institutions involved kickbacks of mortgage proceeds to buyers and co-conspirators, as well as misrepresentations regarding the source of down payment funds for the transactions. None of the incentives and kickbacks were disclosed to the mortgage lenders. Harrison also recruited otherwise unqualified buyers, and provided down payment money for the buyers.  http://www.mortgagefraudblog.com/?s=Marek+Harrison

Harrison faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

This case was investigated by the Federal Housing Finance Agency – Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Chris Poor.

 

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Two Plead Guilty To Conspiracy To Make False Statements To Banks

Stephanie Abbott —  November 22, 2019 — Leave a comment

Mordechai Boaziz, 68, Fort Lauderdale, Florida and Jonathan Marmol,41, Odessa, Florida have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to make false statements to financial institutions.

According to their plea agreements, beginning around the summer of 2006 and continuing through August 2008, Boaziz and Marmol conspired with others to execute a scheme to influence the credit decisions of financial institutions in connection with the sale of condominium units at The Preserve at Temple Terrace, a 392-unit condominium complex. Boaziz was converting The Preserve from an apartment complex into a condominium complex and hired Marmol to market the units.

In order to recruit and entice otherwise unqualified buyers to purchase units at The Preserve, the conspirators offered to pay the prospective buyers’ down payments (“cash-to-close”). The conspirators then intentionally concealed from the financial institutions the cash-to-close payments made on behalf of the buyers.

In particular, the HUD-1 Settlement Statements submitted to the financial institutions falsely stated that the buyers brought their own cash-to-close funds to purchase the condominium units, which influenced the financial institutions’ mortgage loan approval decisions. In reality, Boaziz funded the buyers’ cash-to-close and routed the payments through Marmol and others. As a result of the conspiracy, the financial institutions that financed the condominium unit purchases at The Preserve sustained a total loss of approximately $5 million.

Each faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

This case was investigated by the Federal Housing Finance Agency–Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Chris Poor and Assistant United States Attorney Jay L. Hoffer.

 

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Scam Targeting Homeowners Facing Foreclosure gets Women Convicted

Stephanie Abbott —  October 1, 2019 — Leave a comment

Sara Cordry, 69, Overland Park, Kansas, was found guilty on Monday of taking part in a scheme to swindle homeowners facing foreclosure with false promises to help them save their homes.

During trial, prosecutors presented evidence that Cordry conspired with co-defendants to take money from victims by fraudulently promising to:

  • Lower their interest rates.
  • Lower their monthly payments.
  • Help them obtain loan modifications.

Investigators identified more than 500 victims in 24 states who suffered a total loss of more than $1 million due to the scheme.

Co-defendants include:

  • Tyler Korn, 30, St. Ann, Missouri, who was sentenced to 51 months in federal prison.
  • Ruby Price, 74, Bonner Springs, Kansas, who is awaiting sentencing.
  • Amjad Daud, 35, Lutz, Florida, who failed to appear at court hearings. A warrant for his arrest has been issued.

Cordry’s sentencing is set for January 9, 2020. She could face up to 30 years in federal prison and a fine up to $1 million on each count.

U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister made the announcement.

McAllister commended the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development – Office of Inspector General, the Federal Housing Finance Agency – Office of Inspector General, the Johnson County District Attorney’s Office, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Emilie Burdette and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jabari Wamble for their work on the case.

 

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Five Defendants Indicted in Short Sale Fraud Scheme

Stephanie Abbott —  September 10, 2019 — Leave a comment

Iskyo Aronov (also known as “Isaac Aronov”), 32, Miami, Florida, Michael Konstantinovskiy (also known as “Michael Kay”), 33, Rego Park, Queens, Tomer Dafna, 48, Great Neck, New York, Avraham Tarshish, 40, Queens Village, New York and Michael Herskowitz, 40, Brooklyn, New York have been indicted for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud, and related wire fraud counts, in connection with a scheme to defraud mortgage lenders, including the Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie Mae”), the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“Freddie Mac”) and borrowers.

According to the indictment, between December 2012 and January 2019, the defendants conspired to defraud mortgage lenders, misleading them into approving short sale transactions at fraudulently depressed prices.  In a short sale, with the approval of the mortgage lender or servicer, a mortgage loan borrower sells his or her property for less than the outstanding balance of the mortgage loan.  The proceeds from the short sale, less approved closing costs, are applied to the outstanding mortgage loan balance owed to the lender, who typically agrees to forgive the borrower’s remaining mortgage loan balance.  Here, the defendants fraudulently manipulated the short sale process by transferring properties for prices well above the short sale prices, and failing to disclose this to the mortgage lenders and servicers.  The defendants also took steps to preclude other prospective purchasers from making higher offers for properties by failing to market properties as required by the lenders, and by filing fraudulent liens on properties.

As a further part of the scheme, the defendants provided the mortgage lenders and servicers with false and misleading information in transaction documents and failed to disclose either payments made to the borrower and others related to short sale or contemporaneous agreements to transfer the properties at inflated prices.  Many of the affected mortgage loans were insured by the Federal Housing Administration, or owned or guaranteed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac.

Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Robert Manchak, Special Agent-in-Charge, Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region (FHFA-OIG), and Christina Scaringi, Special Agent-in-Charge, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of the Inspector General, Northeast Region (HUD-OIG), announced the charges.

“As alleged, the defendants defrauded mortgage loan holders out of millions of dollars, with taxpayers saddled with much of the loss,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue.  “This Office will continue working with our law enforcement partners to vigorously prosecute those who commit mortgage fraud and enrich themselves at the expense of the financial institutions and government programs that insure or guarantee the loans.”  Mr. Donoghue thanked the United States Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, New York Field Office (HSI), the HSI El Dorado Financial Crimes Task Force and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, New York, for their assistance in the ongoing investigation.

“Together with our partners in law enforcement, we have disrupted a scheme to defraud Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. As demonstrated by this indictment, FHFA-OIG will investigate and hold accountable those who seek to victimize the government-sponsored entities supervised and regulated by FHFA,” stated FHFA-OIG Special Agent-in-Charge Manchak.

“These five individuals allegedly engaged in a scheme of wholesale deception when they provided false, misleading, and incomplete information to lending institutions, borrowers, and the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) causing millions of dollars in damages to the FHA, which typically results in higher premiums being charged to future first-time homeowners,” stated HUD-OIG Special Agent-in-Charge Scaringi.  “What makes their alleged crimes even more egregious was their artificial devaluation of properties that, when resold or ‘flipped,’ resulted in large profits.  Many of these homes were located in economically challenged areas of New York where affordable housing is at a premium.”

Konstantinovskiy, Dafna, Tarshish and Herskowitz were arrested this morning in New York, and will be arraigned this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Lois Bloom.  Aronov was arrested in Florida, and will appear this afternoon for a removal hearing at the federal courthouse in Miami.

The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.  If convicted, the defendants each face a maximum of 30 years’ imprisonment and a $1 million fine.

The case is being handled by the Office’s Business and Securities Fraud Section.  Assistant United States Attorney Shannon C. Jones is in charge of the prosecution.  Assistant United States Attorney Tanisha Payne of the Office’s Civil Division is handling forfeiture matters.

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Loan Servicer Ceases Foreclosures Found to be Wrongful

Stephanie Abbott —  August 6, 2019 — 7 Comments

Ocwen Financial Corporation is a national provider of loan servicing for lenders. It is headquartered in Florida and has offices in several states. In its Consent Agreement with Maine’s Bureau of Consumer Credit Protection and Attorney General, Ocwen admitted that after July 2014 it pursued foreclosures against Maine homeowners based on paperwork which the State found to be legally defective.

Specifically, Ocwen used “powers of attorney” granted by corporate originators of the mortgages, but those corporate originators of the mortgages had been legally dissolved – had ceased to exist – no later than March 2012. The State alleges that the powers of attorney terminated when the granting corporations dissolved.

Under the Consent Agreement, the State found that Ocwen’s use of the powers of attorneys from legally nonexistent entities violated a statute prohibiting “false, deceptive or misleading representation or means in the collection of any debt.”

Ocwen’s illegal filings continued into January of 2019, even after Ocwen’s lawyers had assured State regulators in November 2018 that the practice would stop. The company termed the additional filings as “inadvertent.”

Ocwen Financial Corporation will refund or credit 24 Maine residents more than $50,000 in attorney’s fees they were assessed when their homes were foreclosed upon, and the company will pay $24,000 in civil penalties and $10,000 in investigative costs to the State of Maine, as part of a Consent Agreement signed last week.

“Maine’s Supreme Court has made clear that lenders must establish that they have the legal right to pursue foreclosures,” said Will Lund, Superintendent of the Maine Bureau of Consumer Credit Protection. “Those requirements were not followed in these cases.”

Attorney General Aaron M. Frey, whose office assisted state mortgage regulators in negotiating and resolving the matter, stated, “The Consent Agreement puts Ocwen – and other national mortgage lenders and servicers – on notice that they must follow the legal standards here in Maine if they pursue actions on defaulted mortgages.”

The Consent Agreement may have ramifications beyond Ocwen, noted Superintendent Lund, since other lenders may be filing foreclosures based on similar powers of attorney issued by the same nonexistent corporate loan originators used by Ocwen.

 

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Man Convicted for Soliciting Homeowners in Default

Stephanie Abbott —  June 28, 2019 — Leave a comment

Christopher Coburn, 34, Winter Garden, Florida has been found guilty of five counts of bankruptcy fraud and two counts of falsification of records in a bankruptcy proceeding.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Coburn solicited homeowners whose mortgages were in default and offered to rescue their homes from foreclosure. In order to prevent the Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie Mae”) and multiple financial institutions holding mortgages from lawfully foreclosing on homeowners’ properties, Coburn engaged a bankruptcy fraud scheme in which he filed or caused to be filed fraudulent bankruptcy petitions in the name of the homeowner, without homeowner’s knowledge or consent, just prior to the scheduled foreclosure sale dates. These fraudulent bankruptcies invoked the automatic stay provision of the bankruptcy code, preventing Fannie Mae and the financial institutions from conducting lawful foreclosure sales and obtaining title to the property. The fraudulent bankruptcy petitions filed by Coburn enabled him to collect fees and allowed him to refer the properties to real estate agents in order to obtain ill-gotten commissions for short-sales. Coburn also filed other false and fraudulent bankruptcy forms in the names of some homeowners relied on by the Office of the United States Trustee and the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Florida. http://www.mortgagefraudblog.com/?s=Christopher+Coburn

Coburn faces a maximum penalty of 5 years’ imprisonment for each bankruptcy fraud count and up to 20 years in prison for each falsification of records count. His sentencing hearing has been scheduled for September 9, 2019.

United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez made the announcement.

This case was investigated by the Federal Housing Finance Agency—Office of Inspector General, with substantial assistance from the Office of the United States Trustee for the Middle District of Florida. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Chris Poor.

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