Archives For November 30, 1999

Blanca A. Medina, 54, Manalapan, New Jersey, pleaded guilty today, admitting her role in a scheme to defraud a financial institution of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

From 2015 to 2018, Medina conspired with others to fraudulently obtain mortgage loans from “Mortgage Lender A” in Monmouth County to finance the purchase of properties by unqualified buyers. Applicants for mortgage loans are required to list their assets and income on their mortgage loan applications, and mortgage lenders rely on those applications when deciding whether to issue mortgage loans.

Medina, a former loan officer for Mortgage Lender A, admitted to participating in a conspiracy in which she knowingly caused completed mortgage loan applications that contained multiple misrepresentations of material facts regarding the buyers’ assets and income to be submitted to Mortgage Lender A. A conspirator provided Medina with false and fraudulent documents for potential borrowers including false and fraudulent lease agreements, bank statements, and a gift check and gift letter. Based on these lies, Mortgage Lender A issued mortgage loans to unqualified buyers, which caused Mortgage Lender A hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses.

The conspiracy charge to which Medina pleaded guilty carries a maximum of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine. Sentencing is scheduled for October 20, 2020.

U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito made the announcement.

Medina was charged before U.S. District Judge Stanley R. Chesler in Newark federal court to a one-count information charging her with conspiracy to commit bank fraud.

U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Douglas Korneski in Newark, and Special Agents of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Robert Manchak, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Fayer of the Economic Crimes Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Charlie Divine of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of Inspector General.

Moctezuma “Mo” Tovar, 50, Sacramento, California, Jun Michael Dirain, 47, Antelope, California and Sandra Hermosillo, 57, Woodland, California were sentenced today for conspiring to commit wire fraud in a mortgage fraud scheme.

According to court documents, Tovar was the founder and president of Delta Homes and Lending Inc., a now-defunct Sacramento, California-based real estate and mortgage lending company. Delta Homes opened one office in 2003 and eventually had several offices in Sacramento and Woodland, California. As the president of Delta Homes, Tovar managed the day-to-day operations of the company and prepared and submitted residential home loan applications on behalf of Delta Homes’ clients. Dirain was a loan processor at Delta Homes, and Hermosillo was a loan officer at the Woodland office and was also responsible for submitting residential home loan applications on behalf of clients.

Between October 2004 and May 2007, Tovar, Dirain, and Hermosillo conspired along with others to obtain home loans from mortgage lenders based upon false and fraudulent loan applications and supporting documents that falsely represented the borrowers’ assets and income, liabilities and debts, and employment status. They provided money to the borrowers in order to inflate their bank account balances. Once the loans were secured, the borrowers returned the money to the defendants. The aggregate sale price of the homes involved in the overall conspiracy was in excess of $10 million. As a result of the conspiracy, mortgage lenders and others suffered losses of at least $4 million. https://www.mortgagefraudblog.com/?s=Jun+Michael+Dirain

Tovar was sentenced to four years and six months in prison, Dirain was sentenced to six months in prison, followed by six months of home detention; and Hermosillo was sentenced to nine months of home detention.

Co-defendant Christian Parada Renteria, 43, formerly of Sacramento, California pleaded guilty to two counts of concealing felonies related to the wire fraud conspiracy, and was previously sentenced to serve one year in prison.

Co-defendant Manuel Herrera, 39, Davis, California pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and co-defendants Jaime Mayorga, 40, and Ruben Rodriguez, 42, both of Sacramento, California, were convicted of conspiracy to commit wire fraud at a jury trial.

Herrera will be sentenced by Judge Shubb on a date to be determined. Mayorga and Rodriguez will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez on November 5, 2019. Each defendant faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott made the announcement.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian A. Fogerty and Justin L. Lee prosecuted the case.

 

Erik Hermann Green, 37, Huntington Beach, formerly of Roseville, California was sentenced to 27 months in prison and ordered to pay $118,421 in restitution for his participation in a mortgage fraud scheme.

According to evidence presented at a seven–day trial in March, Green was part of a large‑scale scheme to defraud the New Century Mortgage Corporation by submitting false documentation about employment, income and assets, including fraudulent loan applications and other altered bank documents. In October 2006, when Green submitted his fraudulent loan applications to obtain a loan for $820,000, he was a licensed real estate sales person and managed approximately 15 loan officers. As part of the scheme, Green received a check for $100,000 that was funneled through a shell company at the close of escrow. Green used the funds for personal expenses. The jury found him guilty of three counts of wire fraud.

U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott made the announcement.

The defendant lied to mortgage lenders to obtain a substantial amount of money and a new home for himself, while causing hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses to lenders,” said Kareem Carter, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation. “This case highlights the ongoing commitment of IRS-CI to hold accountable those involved in these types of crimes.”

This case was the product of an investigation by the IRS Criminal Investigation and the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael D. Anderson and Miriam R. Hinman prosecuted the case.