Domingos Dias, 44, formerly of Trumbull, Connecticut, and currently residing in Easton, Connecticut, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill to 30 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his involvement in a mortgage fraud scheme through the use of straw buyers that caused more than $3 million in losses to lenders.
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Randy Lee Wilkins, 48, Gilroy, California, was sentenced to four years and nine months in prison for carrying out a mortgage fraud scheme in Fresno, California.The defendant and his co-conspirators defrauded lenders by using fraudulent loan applications misrepresenting their income, assets, liabilities and intent to occupy the residences.
James Fidel Sotolongo, 48, Port Orange, Florida, was found guilty of one count of conspiracy and eleven counts of bank fraud for running a scheme to obtain properties with no money down and no money at closings, rent them out, and then sell the properties for a profit.
Patrick J. Belzner, a/k/a Patrick McCloskey, 45, Glen Arm, Maryland, pleaded guilty to a wire fraud conspiracy, wire fraud and tax evasion. Belzer admitted advising wealthy individuals and investment advisers that in order for the McCloskey Group to obtain loans for real estate projects, the loan broker required large sums of money be deposited in an escrow bank account to show liquidity. However, the investors’ funds were removed soon after being deposited and the stolen funds to pay for their personal and business expenses, as well as to make partial repayments to earlier lenders.
Johnny Eugene Grivette Jr., 39, Magalia, California, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge John A. Mendez to four and a half years in prison for his participation in a mortgage fraud scheme involving straw buyers and the payment of commissions to appraisers who would artificially inflate values.
Julie Dianne Farmer, 45, Bakersfield, California, was convicted by a federal jury finding her guilty of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, wire fraud and bank fraud, and two counts each of mail fraud and wire fraud. The charges stem from her involvement in an extensive straw buyer scheme that ran from January 2004 to September 2007.
Nsane Phanuel Ligate, 42, Ashburn, Virginia, a real estate agent, pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud in connection with a mortgage scheme involving the purchase of two properties located on North Patterson Park Avenue, Baltimore, Maryland. Co-defendant Cane Mwihava, 43, Bowie, Maryland, pleaded guilty to the same offense.
Jabari L. Marshall, 36, Las Vegas, Nevada, who was convicted by a jury in September 2013 of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud for his involvement in a scheme to obtain $35 million in fraudulent mortgage loans, was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Simon H. Aouad, 35, Garnet Valley, Pennsylgania, was sentenced to 70 months in prison and restitution of $5,462,682 for a mortgage fraud scheme involving fraudulently obtained mortgages to purchase properties in North Wildwood, New Jersey, and Dorchester, Masschusetts, and a bank fraud scheme involving fraudulently obtained lines of credit at Wachovia Bank, now Wells Fargo Bank.
David Crisp, 34, San Diego, California, was sentenced United States District Judge Lawrence J. O’Neill to 17 years and 7 months in prison, and Jennifer Crisp, 31, San Diego, was sentenced to five years on probation for charges stemming from their involvement in an extensive mortgage fraud scheme that ran from January 2004 to September 2007.