A businessman will get a new trial on mortgage fraud charges because his defense attorney was seen sleeping by the judge, witnesses and the federal court jurors who convicted him last year. U.S. District Judge Donetta Ambrose ruled James Nassida was denied a fair trial because Stan Levenson dozed during the October trial. Levenson has acknowledged that he fell asleep because he was taking cold medicines that made him drowsy.

Source: Man gets new mortgage fraud trial because of sleeping lawyer – ABC News

Judge Jessica O’Brien, a small-claims judge in Cook County, Illinois, was indicted on allegations that she lied and concealed relevant facts from lenders to obtain more than $1.4 million in mortgages on two South Side investment properties that she purchased and sold between 2004 and 2007.

Source: Cook County judge indicted on mortgage fraud charges – Chicago Tribune

Alexander and Sima March fled to Canada after their 2011 indictment on mortgage fraud charges.

Source: Syracuse couple on the run for five years arrested in mortgage fraud case | syracuse.com

A convicted fraudster who got out of prison early after completing a drug addiction program was sent back for 2½ more years on Tuesday by a judge who said he was addicted to defrauding people.

U.S. District Judge Ted Stewart sent Christopher D. Hales, 35, back to prison for 30 months for violations of his conditions of parole, finding that Hales had violated federal laws in defrauding his own father. Hales was indicted in 2010 on charges of mail, wire and bank fraud, and money laundering. Those charges involved a real estate scam operation that involved the purchase of properties in Lindon in Utah County and the Mill Creek area of Salt Lake County.

Source: Judge says convicted Utah scamster addicted to defrauding others | The Salt Lake Tribune

A Shaler man whose original eight-year sentence was overturned by a federal appeals court was sentenced Monday to six years in prison for his role in a multimillion dollar mortgage fraud scheme. A Pittsburgh federal jury convicted Jason Moreno, 33, on five counts of wire fraud and two counts of conspiracy in September 2013. A former appraiser, Moreno overstated housing values and glossed over problems such as a den of black snakes in one house’s basement so that others in the scheme could obtain loans for more than the properties were worth.

Source: Ex-appraiser sentenced to 6 years for mortgage fraud | TribLIVE

A Deschutes County grand jury has indicted two people on several charges in connection with significant mortgage and rental fraud schemes, District Attorney John Hummel said Wednesday.

Mark Franklin Broeg, 59, was arrested Tuesday in Lane County on seven felony counts including racketeering, mortgage fraud, and other theft-related charges, Hummel said in a news release.

A co-defendant in the case is Michelle Marie Anderson, 39, a licensed Realtor with Artisan Realty Group, LLC in Sisters. Anderson, was arrested Wednesday, and is charged with several felony counts of theft of services, attempted aggravated theft, forgery and negotiating a bad check.

Source: Two charged in Deschutes County real estate, mortgage fraud scheme | News – Home

Former state Senate and Assembly candidate Bruce Alston faces up to three years in prison and $133,500 in restitution after pleading guilty today to theft by deception stemming from a 27-count indictment alleging a sophisticated mortgage fraud scheme.

Source: Former state office candidate admits mortgage scam, faces 3 years in prison | NJ.com

A Shaler man whose original eight-year sentence was overturned by a federal appeals court was sentenced Monday to six years in prison for his role in a multimillion dollar mortgage fraud scheme. A Pittsburgh federal jury convicted Jason Moreno, 33, on five counts of wire fraud and two counts of conspiracy in September 2013.

Source: Ex-appraiser sentenced to 6 years for mortgage fraud | TribLIVE

“This is just a horrible crime,” Royal told Williams. “It is outrageous that you would take advantage of people like this.” Turning to the victims in the rear of the courtroom, Judge Royal said, “You people have lost this money. You may get some of it back. But based on my experience, it is very difficult to get restitution. I am very sorry you had to suffer the losses you did. I think it is a terrible crime.”

Source: Payment to fraud victims unlikely, says U.S. District Judge – Oconee Enterprise: News

John and Julieanne Dimitrion scammed good people out of their homes, the FBI says, and then they disappeared.They were the “masterminds of a large fraud scheme,” the FBI’s Brandon Simpson told CNN’s “The Hunt with John Walsh,” which hit Tricia Dano’s family especially hard.

Source: FBI: Gov’t conspiracy group may have aided fugitives – CNN.com