Olga Palamarchuk, 45, Rancho Cordova, California; Pyotr Bondaruk, 44, Sacramento, California; Vera Zhiry, 35, Sacramento, California; and Peter Kuzmenko, 37, West Sacramento, California, were found guilty by a federal jury after a three week trial of conspiracy to commit mail fraud related to a mortgage fraud conspiracy. Palamarchuk and Bondaruk were also found guilty of making false statements to a financial institution and money laundering. Zhiry was also found guilty of money laundering.
According to evidence presented at trial, Palamarchuk, a loan officer at Capital Mortgage Lending Inc., recruited Bondaruk to purchase two houses using 100 percent financing and to refinance and obtain a home equity line of credit on one of the houses. In order to qualify for the loans, Palamarchuk and Bondaruk submitted fraudulent loan applications to lenders, falsely stating Bondaruk’s employment, income, assets, and intent to occupy the homes as his primary residence. Continue Reading…