Archives For August 31, 2025

Noreen Khan aka Noreen Khan-Mayberry, 52, and Christopher Mayberry, her husband, 53, Missouri City, Texas have admitted to their roles in orchestrating a fraudulent financing and refinancing mortgage loan scheme.

Both pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy for making false statements to loan businesses in relation to several mortgage loans they financed. Khan had been a technical manager for NASA, while a NASA contractor had employed Mayberry.

Beginning in 2016, Mayberry and Khan, while employed at NASA, took out significant personal loans to fund the purchase of their luxury home before quickly defaulting on them.

The couple attempted to dispute the debts, claiming to be victims of identity theft. Khan filed a false police report, submitted a false report to the Federal Trade Commission and sent letters to credit bureaus seeking to have loans removed from her credit.

As part of the scheme, the couple signed three separate loan agreements with mortgage lenders related to the financing of their home from 2017 to 2021.

They also admitted to providing false employment information and fake documents, including pay stubs, tax forms and account statements, to lenders.

Khan and Mayberry face up to five years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine in addition to the possible forfeiture of their luxury home. They must also pay restitution in the amount of $276,709 prior to sentencing, which is set for December 18,2025 before U.S. District Judge Charles Eskridge.

Both were permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.

The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

NASA’s Office of Inspector General-Office of Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Winter is prosecuting the case.

Edward James Mitchell Jr., also known as Musa Muhammad, 37, St. Louis, Missiouri, was sentenced on Monday to five years in prison for fraudulently obtaining home mortgages totaling more than $1.2 million. He was also ordered to repay a total of $482,096 to lenders for their losses.

Mitchell, participated in four fraudulent home mortgages from October 2021 through November 2023. Mitchell’s company, Home Team Solutions LLC, purchased three homes in St. Louis, Missiouri and one in Florissant, Missiouri. Mitchell then pretended to be one of his relatives to “buy” two of the homes, submitting fraudulent mortgage loan applications and false employment and financial information and using his relative’s Social Security number and birthdate. He bought another home himself and sold another to his paramour, again submitting false or fraudulent documents.

The total value of the loans was $1,226,550. All the lenders suffered losses due to Mitchell’s fraud. One home was sold at a discount. Another was sold in a foreclosure sale. A third was sold in a short sale.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of Inspector General (FHFA-OIG)  carefully investigates allegations of mortgage fraud involving the government-sponsored enterprises, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac,” said Korey Brinkman, Special Agent in Charge of FHFA-OIG’s Central Region. “We are proud to work with our partners in this investigation.”

Mitchell pleaded guilty in April in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one felony count of bank fraud.

In October 2023, Mitchell legally changed his name to Musa Muhammad.

The FBI and the Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Bateman prosecuted the case.