Archives For Stephanie Abbott

Conviction for Mortgage Fraud Scheme for Former NASA Employee and Husband

Stephanie Abbott —  September 12, 2025 — Leave a comment

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.

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Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Fraudulently Obtaining $1.2 Million in Mortgages

Stephanie Abbott —  September 8, 2025 — Leave a comment

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.

 

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A.G. Sues Operators of Foreclosure Scam Targeting Elderly Arizonans

Stephanie Abbott —  August 25, 2025 — Leave a comment

Edward Trenton Albarracin (aka Trenton Edwards) and Gretchen Marie Zamjahn (aka Gretchen Edwards), along with more than 50 entities they controlled, have a had a lawsuit filed against them for allegedly running a predatory real estate scheme that stripped vulnerable homeowners of their property.

The defendants operated under several misleading names such as “Hands with Hope,” advertising themselves as professionals who could “rescue” homeowners from foreclosure.

According to the complaint, their promises were a lie. Instead of helping homeowners in need, Albarracin and Zamjahn tricked them into signing over the deeds to their homes.

Details of scheme:

  • The defendants contacted homeowners facing foreclosure and offered to bring their mortgages current so they could remain in their homes.
  • Victims were told they needed to “temporarily” transfer the deed into a trust.
  • In reality, those deeds were transferred to deceptively named shell LLCs such as “Lupo Family Trust, LLC,” which were entirely controlled by Albarracin.
  • Albarracin signed the deeds on behalf of the companies, while Zamjahn illegally notarized the transactions, despite having a direct financial interest as his spouse.
  • Victims were further misled and pressured to file false bankruptcy or probate cases to prolong the scam.

Attorney General Kris Mayes made the announcement today.

“These scammers pretended to offer a lifeline to homeowners in crisis — but in reality, they were stealing people’s homes out from under them,” said Attorney General Mayes. “This scheme specifically targeted elderly Arizonans who were already struggling, and it used lies, shell companies, and even illegal notarizations to pull it off. Let me be clear: anyone who tries to profit by exploiting vulnerable Arizonans will be held accountable by my office.”

Attorney General Mayes’ lawsuit alleges unfair practices under the Arizona Consumer Fraud Act and exploitation of vulnerable adults under the Adult Protective Services Act. The complaint also seeks to void any transactions improperly notarized by Zamjahn.

Given the scope of the fraud and concerns over the defendant’s’ financial situation, Attorney General Mayes also sought an emergency receivership over all of Albarracin and Zamjahn’s assets. On August 20,2025 Judge Scott Minder granted the request and appointed Peter Davis as receiver to secure the defendants’ real estate, vehicles, and cash accounts.

Evidence presented to the court also showed that Albarracin, who recently suffered a series of strokes following a cancer diagnosis, may himself now be vulnerable to financial exploitation by others, furthering the need of a receivership.

Attorney General Mayes is seeking restitution for victim, civil penalties against the real estate operators, and a permanent injunction preventing Albarracin and Zamjahn from buying or selling real estate in Arizona ever again.

Attorney General Mayes also urges Arizonans to come forward if they believe they have been approached by strangers offering to buy their home or pressured to sign over their deed.

“I will go after any scam artists targeting homeowners, especially those targeting vulnerable adults and senior citizens” said Attorney General Mayes. “I urge anyone who believes they’ve been victimized to contact my office immediately.”

The case, State of Arizona v. Edward Trenton Albarracin, Gretchen Zamjahn, et al., No. CV2025-029139, is being handled by Senior Litigation Counsel Shane Ham and Assistant Attorneys General Liza Lawson and Suzanne Pendergast of the Consumer Protection and Advocacy Section.

 

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Man Sentenced in Scheme to Steal Residential Real Estate Using Fraudulent Deeds

Stephanie Abbott —  July 22, 2025 — Leave a comment

Jeffrey M. Young-Bey, 68, District of Columbia, was sentenced today to 138 months in prison for his role a scheme that stole residential real estate property in order to generate more than $850,000 in fraudulent loans.

According to the government’s evidence, beginning in November 2019, Young-Bey conspired to steal a residential townhome located in LeDroit Park, Washington, D.C., in order to obtain mortgage financing against the stolen property.

Young-Bey identified a target property owned free and clear by an elderly homeowner. He then prepared a fraudulent property deed, including forged signatures of the true owners and used a fake notary stamp to make the deed appear legitimate.

Young-Bey filed the deed with the District of Columbia Recorder of Deeds, transferring the title from the true owners to a corporate entity. Young-Bey passed a check to the D.C. Recorder of Deeds to pay for the transfer taxes but put a stop payment order on the check before the D.C. government could cash the check. After causing the fake deed to be recorded with the D.C. Recorder of Deeds, he falsely told a mortgage services business that another individual had inherited the property and wanted to take a large loan against the value of the home.

Young-Bey created a fake rental lease and deceived the mortgage company into loaning one of his associates approximately $360,000 against the value of the home they did not own, which was split evenly between the two. Young-Bey used his half of the proceeds to buy a BMW 3-Series valued at approximately $23,000.

After succeeding on the first scam, Young-Bey executed a second fraudulent scheme on a Shephard Park property in the District, forging the names of the two owners, using the fake notary stamp, and recording the deed at the D.C. Recorder of Deeds Office. Young-Bey again put a stop payment order on the transfer tax check before it could be cashed. Young-Bey used the recorded deed to obtain a construction loan of more than $500,000 against the value of the house.  Young-Bey took a portion of the loan and purchased a BMW 7-Series worth approximately $120,000. He promptly sold the home to a legitimate real estate company for an additional $42,000 in profit. The fraud was discovered when the real estate company began performing renovations on the home and the rightful owners were alerted to the construction and demolition by their neighbors.

Young-Bey was found guilty by a jury on Feb.12, 2024, on 12 federal charges: one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and bank fraud, two counts of bank fraud, two counts of mail fraud, two counts of money laundering, and five counts of aggravated identity theft. In addition to the  term of incarceration, U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly ordered five years of supervised release.

The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

Joining in the announcement was FBI Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen of the Washington Field Office, which led the investigation.

This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office with assistance from the Metropolitan Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher R. Howland and Kevin L. Rosenberg of the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Gina Torres. Valuable assistance was provided by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Rothstein, who investigated and indicted the case, as well as former Assistant U.S. Attorney Virginia Cheatham, former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Viviana Vasiu, and Paralegal Specialist Lisa Abbe, each of whom assisted in investigating the case. The prosecution team was also assisted by Tonya Jones from the Victim Witness Assistance Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Lenerz from the Appellate Section.

 

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Title Company Owner Pleads Guilty To Wire Fraud

Stephanie Abbott —  May 30, 2025 — Leave a comment

Jonathan Yasko, 46, Winter Springs, Florida has pleaded guilty to wire fraud.

According to the court documents, Yasko owned or controlled various title companies that conducted real estate settlement services and issued title insurance policies on behalf of title insurance underwriters. Each of Yasko’s title companies was required to deposit the funds it received from the lenders, buyers, and homeowners into an escrow account to segregate these monies from its own funds. The title companies were also legally required to disburse the lender’s funds in the manner specified in the instructions sent by the financial institutions. Yasko’s title companies also had a fiduciary duty to the financial institutions and were required to act in the best interests of the party providing the funds, rather than using these funds for its own self-interest.

From January 2021 through August 2023, Yasko engaged in a scheme to defraud financial institutions using interstate wires. As part of his scheme, Yasko promised to keep the financial institution’s funds segregated in escrow accounts prior to closing in according with Florida law. He also promised to disburse the financial institution’s funds that were sent via interstate wire transfers in accordance with the financial institution’s closing instructions. Yasko initiated fraudulent interstate wire transfers of the lender funds from the segregated escrow accounts to other escrow accounts that had insufficient funds to conduct separate closings and initiated fraudulent interstate wire transfers of lender funds from the segregated escrow accounts to Yasko’s title company operating accounts for illicit purposes such as paying off personal credit cards, home renovation expenses, and payments to personal credit cards. Yasko embezzled the mortgage lenders funds, which prevented the real estate settlement from taking place. As a result, the title insurance underwriter paid out settlements to the victim financial institutions. Several of the botched real estate closings involved mortgage loans purchased or owned by Freddie Mac.

In exchange for his role in the scheme, Yasko also received ill-gotten title insurance premiums. Yasko has agreed to forfeit $201,004.57, the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct.

Yasko faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.

This case was investigated by the Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Chris Poor.

 

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Man Sentenced In Quit Claim Deed Fraud Scheme

Stephanie Abbott —  May 13, 2025 — Leave a comment

John Alberto Stolard, 48, Wesley Chapel, Florida, has been sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud involving quit claim deeds.

According to court records, Stolard obtained fraudulent quit claim deeds in connection with five different properties—all owned by a victim Stolard had worked with and knew personally. Stolard obtained $827,000 in fraud proceeds by obtaining mortgages on five properties he did not actually own through fraudulent quit claim deeds he filed with the Hillsborough County Clerk of Court. Stolard and a co-conspirator forged the victim-owner’s name on quit claim deeds and then filed these fraudulent deeds with the court. Using the fraudulent deeds, Stolard applied online for mortgage loans, using the victims’ properties as collateral, and ultimately obtained $827,000 in mortgage loans.

The court also ordered Stolard to forfeit $747,388.30, which are traceable to Stolard’s proceeds from the offense. Stolard pleaded guilty on October 3, 2024.

U.S. Secret Service, Tampa Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Robert Engel stated, “Through our investigation, we uncovered how selfish greed nearly caused devastating financial losses for an innocent victim. Mr. Stolard epitomized the betrayal of trust, abusing his position to steal over $800,000 in property while fraudulently posing as the rightful owner. Thanks to the men and women of our Tampa Field Office, the United States Attorney’s Office, and our partners at the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office for their swift and dedicated work. We are pleased that justice was served.”

This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer L. Peresie.

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Real Estate Broker Sentenced For Mortgage Fraud

Stephanie Abbott —  April 30, 2025 — Leave a comment

Maria Del Carmen Montes, 48, Kissimmee, Florida has been sentenced to 33 months in federal prison for bank fraud.

According to court documents, Montes, co-conspirator Carlos Ferrer, and others created and executed a mortgage fraud scheme targeting financial institutions. Montes assisted clients with purchasing homes and, after signing the real estate contract, referred her buyers to a loan officer at a mortgage company. In order to qualify her clients for mortgage loans for which they were unqualified, Montes transferred the personal identifying and financial information of her clients to Ferrer and directed Ferrer to create fictitious paystubs and W-2s showing false earnings and length of employment for her clients, knowing that her clients never worked for the companies on the fictitious employment documents. After Ferrer created the documents, Montes submitted the fictitious paystubs and W-2s to the financial institutions who relied on them when making underwriting decisions.

On August 13, 2024, Ferrer was sentenced to four months’ imprisonment and ordered to serve three years of supervised release for his role in the case.

Montes pleaded guilty on January 4, 2024.

This case was investigated by the Federal Housing Finance Agency – Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development – Office of Inspector General, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Chris Poor.

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Title Company Employee Sentenced in Real Estate Wire Fraud Scheme

Stephanie Abbott —  April 28, 2025 — Leave a comment

Mayela Saby Cantu, 55, McAllen, Texas has been ordered to prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

At the time of her plea, Cantu admitted she knowingly participated in a scheme that used falsified lien payoff statements, fraudulent warranty deeds and deceptive emails to mislead lenders, title companies and property buyers.

From November 2020 until her arrest, Cantu defrauded buyers and lenders in multiple property transactions while working at a McAllen title company. Using her position of trust, she facilitated closings backed by falsified documents. In one notable case, she directed others to create a fraudulent email address resembling that of a legitimate lienholder. Cantu then used the fake account to send false payoff amounts via interstate wires, leading a title company to improperly disburse more than $350,000.

Cantu facilitated additional fraudulent property transactions, including arranging closing on properties that had already been sold and accepting undisclosed cash payments. By concealing the true nature of these deals, she caused significant financial harm to the affected parties.

Cantu was permitted to remain on bond pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

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

Mayela Saby Cantu pleaded guilty Dec. 20, 2024.

Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has ordered Cantu to serve 24 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay $350,000 in restitution. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that detailed Cantu’s role in the scheme. The victim also reported the significant loss due to Cantu’s actions and asked the court for a sentence that would operate as a deterrent for others. In handing down the prison term, the court noted the complexity of the scheme and emphasized that Cantu’s role as an escrow officer allowed her to facilitate the scheme.

The FBI, McAllen Police Department and Texas Department of Insurance conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jose Garcia prosecuted the case.

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Chicago Businessman Sentenced for Defrauding Financial Institutions

Stephanie Abbott —  March 28, 2025 — Leave a comment

David Izsak, 50, Chicago, Illinois, businessman has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for scheming to defraud multiple financial institutions out of more than $3 million.

Izsak was a licensed real estate professional and the sole proprietor of Skokie, Illinois based Premier Assets Inc. and Premier Properties Enterprises, Inc.  From 2005 to 2018, Izsak engaged in a scheme to defraud financial institutions by obtaining residential loans through false statements, concealing other unpaid loans, and falsely obtaining credit.  As part of the scheme, Izsak submitted or caused to be submitted to the Cook County Recorder of Deeds fictitious lien releases that purported to be from lenders stating the loans were paid in full.  The bogus lien releases included false names of attorneys and bank employees. In one instance, after causing a lien to be released, Izsak sold the property to an unsuspecting buyer.  In another instance, he obtained six mortgages on a single property, obtaining a new loan after fictitiously releasing the prior loan without repaying it.

Izsak also obtained a loan to buy a 57-foot yacht known as the “Flying Lady” by submitting fraudulent tax returns and financial information to the lender.  The yacht was seized by federal authorities in 2019.

A jury in U.S. District Court in Chicago in 2023 convicted Izsak on ten counts of financial institution fraud.  U.S. District Judge Manish S. Shah imposed the prison sentence on Tuesday during a hearing in federal court.

The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the FBI Chicago Field Office, and Ruth M. Mendonça, Inspector-in-Charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

“Izsak engaged in blatantly fraudulent conduct for many years,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Elly Moheb argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum.  “The entire purpose of the scheme was to line his own pockets, so that he could live a lifestyle he didn’t earn.”

Two other individuals – Yale Schiff, Riverwoods, Illinois., and his brother, Jason Schiff, Lincolnwood, Illinois – were also convicted as part of the federal investigation.  Yale Schiff was sentenced in January to three years in prison for fraudulently obtaining millions of dollars in mortgage and vehicle loans and using stolen identities to secure credit from financial institutions.  Jason Schiff pleaded guilty to causing a false report and statement to be made to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.  Jason Schiff was sentenced to three years of probation.

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Nigerian National Extradited for Mortgage Fraud Scheme

Stephanie Abbott —  March 7, 2025 — Leave a comment

Okechukwu Josiah Odunna, 60, Abuja, Nigeria made his initial appearance in a federal court in Miami, where he is accused of playing a key role in a fraud scheme in which he fraudulently obtained loans in connection with the fraudulent purchases of approximately 20 residential properties in Florida. This plot resulted in the loss of about $8 million to U.S. financial institutions, the Justice Department announced today.

According to the indictment, between December 2005 to approximately May 2008, Odunna and his co-conspirators devised a scheme to defraud and to obtain money by making false representations and material omissions to U.S. banking institutions. As part of the scheme, Odunna and his co-conspirators would, among other things: submit false and fraudulent loan applications and documents to financial institutions relating to purchases of residential properties, resulting in lenders loaning out more money than they otherwise would. These false statements to the lenders included false names of the persons who would be borrowing the money to purchase the properties, falsely inflated sale prices that were much higher than the true prices and false details regarding the receipt and disbursement of funds in connection with the purchases of the properties.

Odunna, who was a licensed attorney at the time, was also one of the directors of Direct Title and Escrow Services, Inc. (DTES). Odunna was the settlement agent in approximately 20 fraudulent closings of property purchases. To disguise the fraud, Odunna and his co-conspirators provided sellers and lenders with two different settlement statements, which included false information and omitted information regarding the sale price, the identity of the purchaser, and the receipt and the disbursement of funds.

Odunna faces charges of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud affecting a financial institution. Odunna was arrested on September 24, 2024, by Nigerian authorities pursuant to a U.S. extradition request. Nigerian authorities extradited Odunna to the Southern District of Florida on March 6, after he waived extradition. He has remained incarcerated since his arrest. Odunna is scheduled to appear at his pretrial detention and arraignment hearings on March 11 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jonathan Goodman.

Odunna’s co-conspirators, charged in the same indictment, included Karl Oreste, Marie Lucie Tondreau and Kelly Augustin. Oreste pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 100 months in prison. Tondreau, who was the former Mayor of North Miami, was convicted at trial. She was sentenced to 65 months in prison. Augustin remains a fugitive.

If convicted, Odunna faces up to 30 years in prison on the conspiracy to commit wire fraud affecting a financial institution charge and up to 30 years in prison on the wire fraud affecting a financial institution charge. Each count also carries the possibility of a fine and supervised release upon completion of any prison sentence. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida, Acting Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles of the FBI Miami Field Office, and Commissioner Russell C. Weigel, III, of the Florida Office of Financial Regulation (OFR), made the announcement.

The FBI Miami and OFR are investigating the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Odunna. The United States also thanks the FBI International Operations Division, Africa Unit Legal Attaché Office, Abuja, Nigeria, Ministry of Justice, Central Authority Unit, Nigeria, and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Nigeria for their valuable assistance.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Ana Maria Martinez is prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daren Grove is handling asset forfeiture.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 14-cr-20349.

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