Archives For forged deeds

Man Sentenced for Quit Claim Deed Forgery

Stephanie Abbott —  January 13, 2022 — Leave a comment

Arondo Harris, Missouri, has been sentenced to a term of 41 months in federal prison for the filing of counterfeit quit claim deeds with the City of St. Louis Recorder of Deeds Office.

According to court documents, between January 9, 2019 and February 6, 2019, Harris presented to the City of St. Louis Recorder of Deeds Office three quit claim deeds that contained the forged signatures of the properties’ true owners. Each of the forged signatures had had been falsely authenticated through the seal and forged signature of a licensed notary public.  The property owners of one of the residences had died prior to the forgery of their signatures.

As a result of the false notarization of the quit claim deeds, representatives of the Recorders Office accepted the deeds as legitimate and falsely recorded Harris as the owner of three residences located in the City of St. Louis.

The Court determined that Harris’ conduct resulted in losses of more than $150,000 to the legitimate owners of the properties. It also determined that Harris caused substantial financial hardship to one of the victims because that individual was left homeless by the fraudulent activities.

This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service and was prosecuted based upon a referral by the Circuit Attorney’s Office for the City of St. Louis.

 

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Duo Indicted on Federal Charges in Real Estate Scheme

Stephanie Abbott —  November 29, 2021 — Leave a comment

Jeffrey M. Young-Bey, 65, Washington, District of Columbia, and Martina Yolanda Jones, 44, Baltimore, Maryland, were indicted earlier this month for a scheme in which they allegedly used fraudulent property deeds to steal residential real estate property in the District of Columbia

As alleged in the indictment, beginning at least as early as November 2019, Young-Bey and Jones conspired to steal real estate and obtain a loan against the property or sell the property for profit. Specifically, the indictment states, Young-Bey identified a target property located in the District of Columbia. Young-Bey then prepared a fraudulent property deed, including forged signatures of the true owners.  Young-Bey filed the deed with the District of Columbia Recorder of Deeds, transferring the title from the true owners to a corporate entity controlled by Young-Bey or Jones.  The residential real estate property was then encumbered or sold through means of materially false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises.

As a result of the scheme, the indictment alleges, Jones and Young-Bey obtained $323,224 from a fraudulent loan taken out on one property.

In addition, according to the indictment, Young-Bey received $268,036 from the sale of a second property in the District of Columbia that he allegedly stole and sold through the same scheme.  With these fraudulent proceeds, the indictment alleges, Young-Bey purchased a 2020 BMW 750XI worth over $106,000 and a 2016 BMW 328XI worth over $21,000.

All told, the indictment alleges, the scheme generated more than $500,000 in illegal proceeds.

In connection with Young-Bey’s activity, the Government has seized $269,239, as well as the 2020 BMW 750XI.

The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal Division.

Young-Bey was arrested on November 22, 2021, and Jones was arrested on November 27, 2021. Both have made their initial appearances in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

Young-Bey was arrested on Nov. 22, 2021, and Jones was arrested on Nov. 27, 2021. Both have made their initial appearances in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. Every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.

This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Rothstein and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Viviana Vasiu, both from the Fraud Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

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Man Sentenced for Forging Deed in Scheme to Steal from Elderly Homeowner

Stephanie Abbott —  February 26, 2020 — Leave a comment

Craig Hecht, 52, Mount Sinai, New York, was sentenced today for stealing a vacant brownstone worth over $1 million in a deed fraud scheme targeting an 80-year-old Bedford-Stuyvesant homeowner.

According to the evidence, Hecht and an unapprehended co-defendant stole the deed to 260 Clifton Place, Bedford-Stuyvesant, New York, a brownstone owned by an 80-year-old retired teacher. The victim and her family lived in the residence for over three decades. In 2010, the family vacated the property after a fire made the building uninhabitable.

Hecht formed an entity called Ernestina Thomas LLC that he filed with the New York State Department of State on April 20, 2015. Ten days later, the co-defendant opened a bank account called Ernestina Thomas LLC (ET). The victim did not know about or consent to any of this.

On September 18, 2015, according to the evidence, Hecht set up a closing where 260 Clifton Place was transferred to an entity called TDA Development. A deed with the victim’s forged signature, which transferred the property from her to TDA, was filed and recorded with the City Register. The bulk of the proceeds of the sale went into an ET account which the co-defendant controlled.

Shortly thereafter, Hecht offered 260 Clifton Place to a prospective buyer. On November 5, 2015, the co-defendant opened a bank account for TDA and the following day the property was transferred from TDA to the buyer at a closing for $850,000, with most of the proceeds of that sale going into the co-defendant’s TDA account. From the funds stolen out of the two closings, the co-defendant wired $190,000 to an account he had in Athens, Greece, withdrew another $120,000 in a series of cash withdrawals and transferred over $250,000 to an account held by Hecht’s wife. http://www.mortgagefraudblog.com/man-indicted-for-forging-deed/

The victim was notified of the theft when a neighbor called to tell her that someone was working on the house and introduced himself as the new property owner. She then notified the District Attorney’s Office.

Hecht was sentenced to one-and-a-half to four-and-a-half years in prison by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun, who nullified the deed the defendant forged and issued a judgment order of restitution for $850,000 to the title insurance company for losses it incurred reimbursing the home buyer. The defendant pleaded guilty to second-degree grand larceny and second-degree money laundering on December 4, 2019.

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez made the announcement.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, “This defendant targeted an elderly homeowner, forging her signature and capitalizing on her absence in an underhanded effort to steal her home. I remain committed to protecting Brooklyn homeowners and I hope today’s sentence sends a clear message to those trying to take advantage of seniors or those considering selling their homes —you will be prosecuted and held fully accountable for your crimes.”

The case was investigated by Detective Investigators assigned to the KCDA Investigations Bureau. Supervising Financial Investigator Vincent Jones, of the District Attorney’s Investigations Division, assisted in the investigation.

The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Linda Hristova, with assistance from Senior Assistant District Attorney Elliott Wertheim and Senior Assistant District Attorney Patrick Cappock, of the District Attorney’s Frauds Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Richard Farrell, Chief of the District Attorney’s Real Estate Fraud Unit and Assistant District Attorney Michel Spanakos, Deputy Chief of the District Attorney’s Investigations Division, and the overall supervision of Assistant District Attorney Patricia McNeill, Chief of the District Attorney’s Investigations Division.

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Pair Indicted for Stealing Homes and Property Using Fraudulent Deeds

Stephanie Abbott —  September 16, 2019 — 1 Comment

Neill Reed and Jeric Goodrum, North Little Rock, Arkansas have been indicted for violations of the Arkansas Deceptive Trade Practices Act. Reed and Goodrum tried to manipulate Arkansas’s tax-delinquent property sale procedures by illegally filing forged deeds in order to steal property from rightful owners and then sell the property to unsuspecting consumers.

Defendants Reed and Goodrum begin the scam by locating publicly-listed tax-delinquent properties that were soon to be auctioned by the Commissioner of State Lands. Once they identify a particular tax-delinquent piece of property they want to acquire, and without the true owner’s knowledge or consent, they forge a quitclaim deed that indicates that the record owner of the property transferred their interests to Defendants. Defendants record the forged document in a county’s property records and then sell the stolen property for a price that may be thousands of dollars below the property’s actual value to unsuspecting third parties. The scam often goes unnoticed until the true owner tries to pay the taxes and reclaim the property.

Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge filed the charges.

“These fraudulent actions are costly for their victims, and in some circumstances rob children, grandchildren and families of property that should be their rightful inheritance,” said Attorney General Rutledge. “These scams hurt hard-working Arkansans, and these fraudsters must be stopped.”

The investigation was assisted by staff for the Commissioner of State Lands, Tommy Land. The suit seeks an injunction; an order imposing civil penalties; restitution for affected consumers; the suspension or forfeiture of franchises, corporate charters, licenses, permits and authorizations to do business in Arkansas and other relief against Reed and Goodrum.

Attorney General Rutledge is requesting restitution, civil penalties, and injunctive relief and demands a jury trial. Victims of these business practices should file a consumer complaint on ArkansasAG.gov or call (800) 482-8982.

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Two Accused and One Charged in Real Estate Fraud Case

Stephanie Abbott —  July 19, 2019 — Leave a comment

Angela Fawn Wallace, aka Leah Denise Williams, West Hills, California 58, who has been already been accused of bilking millions of dollars from elderly property owners and two others have been charged today in a real estate fraud case.

In 2015 and 2016, the defendants are accused of creating fraudulent deeds in order to illegally take out a loan against a Los Angeles, California home and later sell it.

Wallace also allegedly created false deeds for two other Los Angeles residential properties in 2015 and then in 2018 illegally signed deeds of trust on the residences as collateral for her bail in another fraud case, the prosecutor said.

Wallace was charged in case BA479339 with 68 felony counts, including identity theft, forgery relating to identity theft, procuring and offering false or forged instrument, counterfeit seal, grand theft and money laundering.

Co-defendants Charlesetta Brown, aka Barbara Brown, 68, Los Angeles, California and David Jayson Greene, aka Damian Dave Brown, 45, Los Angeles, California face 54 felony counts.

The charges for all three defendants include allegations of taking more than $100,000 through fraud and embezzlement and having prior felony convictions. The case was filed for warrant on July 12, 2019.

Brown pleaded not guilty today at an arraignment hearing. Wallace and Greene pleaded not guilty earlier this week. Bail for Wallace was set at $1.61 million and for Brown and Greene at $1.27 million each.

A bail review hearing for the three defendants is scheduled for July 24, 2019 followed by a preliminary hearing on July 29, in Department 30 of the Foltz Criminal Justice Center.

The crimes allegedly resulted in a loss of more than $400,000.

Wallace faces a possible maximum sentence of 41 years in state prison if convicted as charged. Brown and Greene each face up to 35 years and eight months in prison.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office made the announcement today.

The case remains under investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department and the District Attorney’s Bureau of Investigation.

Wallace previously was charged in cases BA474533 and BA468922 with a total of 162 felony counts, including grand theft, identity theft, forgery and money laundering. Those charges include special allegations of taking of more than $200,000 and prior convictions.

If convicted as charged in those two cases, she faces a possible maximum sentence of 81 years and 10 months in state prison.

 

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57 Month Sentence in Scheme to Defraud Financial Institutions

Rachel Dollar —  September 28, 2015 — Leave a comment

Ray M. Mubarak, 56, Knoxville, Tennessee, was sentenced to serve 57 months in prison for conducting a scheme to defraud financial institutions and engaging in an unlawful monetary transaction with fraudulently-obtained loan proceeds.  He was also ordered to pay $1,993,938.44 in restitution to three banks and a title insurance company that lost money as a result of the scheme.

Mubarak pleaded guilty in May 2015 to federal charges stemming from his scheme to defraud multiple banks into loaning him over $6 million. He submitted false tax returns and personal financial statements which grossly inflated his income and net worth in order to qualify for the loans. Mubarak also admitted to defrauding the banks by causing them to rely on a fraudulent title opinion letter and forged loan closing documents and deeds.

The trial for Mubarak’s co-defendants, Dianna Mubarak and Blythe Bond Sanders, III, is scheduled for March 1, 2016.

Marbarak was sentenced by the Honorable Pamela L. Reeves, U.S. District Judge.  The investigation was conducted by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation and Federal Bureau of Investigation.  The investigation and prosecution of Mubarak was coordinated with the Office of the District Attorney General, 6th Judicial District.  Matthew T. Morris, Assistant U.S. Attorney, represented the United States.

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Spiritual Help Through Mortgage Elimination Scheme?

Rachel Dollar —  September 25, 2015 — 1 Comment

John Michael DiChiara, 57, Nevada City, California; James C. Castle, 51, formerly of Santa Rosa, California; Remus A. Kirkpatrick, 58, formerly of Oceanside, California; George B. Larsen, 54, formerly of San Rafael, California; Laura Pezzi, 59, Roseville, California; Larry Todt, 63, formerly of Malibu, California; and Michael Romano, 68, Benicia, California, were charged by a federal grand jury in a 42-count indictment, with conspiracy, bank fraud, false making of documents, and money laundering in connection with a mortgage elimination scheme. Tisha Trites, 49, San Diego, California and Todd Smith, 44, San Diego, California, pleaded guilty to related charges before U.S. District Judge Garland E. Burrell Jr. on September 4, 2015.

DiChiara was arrested in Cool, California. Pezzi and Romano were arrested at their homes. The other four defendants listed in the indictment have yet to be arrested. Continue Reading…

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Beware of Fake Sales Transactions

Rachel Dollar —  July 31, 2015 — Leave a comment

  This scam is operating across the country and is not limited to properties in Lansing Michigan.  (It is also being perpetrated against potential renters who are “rented” homes that are not owned by the scammers.)

In the Craig’s List scams, a home buyer can generally protect themselves by depositing the earnest money with their own real estate agent or with an escrow company rather than handing money over to the scammers.  The fact that the scammers don’t actually own the property will be discovered during the title search that is conducted while the sales transaction is pending.

This is not the only scam that involves fake sales.  In another common scam, fake sellers actually forge quit claim deeds and ‘transfer’ the property to themselves.  Sometimes these scammers also rent the property from the real owners so that they can ‘show’ the property to potential buyers.

Looking at current ownership in these fake sales transactions may not be enough.  Home buyers and real estate professionals also need to look at the last transactions recorded against title to the property.  If the property has recently transferred by way of quit clam deed, a little more due diligence may be in order before handing over the earnest money deposit or purchasing the property. It is as easy as contacting the “prior” record title holder – who may not even be aware that their property has been transferred.  Quit claim transfers are not always fraudulent.  And fake transfer can be done by way of regular grant deeds.  We just see more fake transfers by quit claim.

In the Craig’s List scam, the fake sellers walk away with the earnest money deposit or down payment.  In a fake sales transaction, if it is not detected by the title company, the scammers walk away with the entire purchase price.

If a homeowner falls for one of these fake sales transactions and purchases a property that doesn’t actually belong to the seller and was transferred by way of a forged deed, the new homeowner’s only real recourse will be their title insurance policy.

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