Archives For Missouri

Arondo Harris, Missouri, has been sentenced to a term of 41 months in federal prison for the filing of counterfeit quit claim deeds with the City of St. Louis Recorder of Deeds Office.

According to court documents, between January 9, 2019 and February 6, 2019, Harris presented to the City of St. Louis Recorder of Deeds Office three quit claim deeds that contained the forged signatures of the properties’ true owners. Each of the forged signatures had had been falsely authenticated through the seal and forged signature of a licensed notary public.  The property owners of one of the residences had died prior to the forgery of their signatures.

As a result of the false notarization of the quit claim deeds, representatives of the Recorders Office accepted the deeds as legitimate and falsely recorded Harris as the owner of three residences located in the City of St. Louis.

The Court determined that Harris’ conduct resulted in losses of more than $150,000 to the legitimate owners of the properties. It also determined that Harris caused substantial financial hardship to one of the victims because that individual was left homeless by the fraudulent activities.

This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service and was prosecuted based upon a referral by the Circuit Attorney’s Office for the City of St. Louis.

 

Sara Cordry, 69, Overland Park, Kansas, was found guilty on Monday of taking part in a scheme to swindle homeowners facing foreclosure with false promises to help them save their homes.

During trial, prosecutors presented evidence that Cordry conspired with co-defendants to take money from victims by fraudulently promising to:

  • Lower their interest rates.
  • Lower their monthly payments.
  • Help them obtain loan modifications.

Investigators identified more than 500 victims in 24 states who suffered a total loss of more than $1 million due to the scheme.

Co-defendants include:

  • Tyler Korn, 30, St. Ann, Missouri, who was sentenced to 51 months in federal prison.
  • Ruby Price, 74, Bonner Springs, Kansas, who is awaiting sentencing.
  • Amjad Daud, 35, Lutz, Florida, who failed to appear at court hearings. A warrant for his arrest has been issued.

Cordry’s sentencing is set for January 9, 2020. She could face up to 30 years in federal prison and a fine up to $1 million on each count.

U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister made the announcement.

McAllister commended the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development – Office of Inspector General, the Federal Housing Finance Agency – Office of Inspector General, the Johnson County District Attorney’s Office, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Emilie Burdette and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jabari Wamble for their work on the case.

 

Tyler Korn, 28, St. Ann, Missouri, pleaded guilty Monday to charges he and his accomplices swindled homeowners facing foreclosure with false promises to help them save their homes.

In his plea, he admitted he and co-defendants used the address of a UPS store in Overland Park, Kansas, to form Reliant Home Financial Group, a company they operated out of the St. Louis, Missouri metro area.

The indictment alleges the defendants took money from victims and fraudulently promised to:

  • Lower their interest rates.
  • Lower their monthly payments.
  • Help them obtain loan modifications.

When victims received foreclosure notices, the defendants advised them not to worry about it.

Other defendants include:

Amjad Daoud, 33, Lutz, Florida, who is awaiting trial.

Ruby Price, 73, Bonner Springs, Kansas, who is awaiting sentencing.

Korn will be scheduled for sentencing later. He faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $1 million on each count.

U.S. Attorney Tom Beall made the announcement.

Beall commended the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development – Office of Inspector General, the Federal Housing Finance Agency – Office of Inspector General, the Johnson County District Attorney’s Office, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Emilie Burdette and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jabari Wamble for their work on the case.

 

Margie P. Shephard, 51, Kansas City, Missouri, pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice after forging a court order to get another inmate released from prison.

Shephard was incarcerated as an inmate at Federal Prison Camp-Bryan in Bryan, Texas, after being sentenced to 10 years for conspiracy to commit bank fraud and identity theft, aggravated identity theft and obstruction of justice.

By pleading guilty, Shephard admitted that, while incarcerated, she fabricated a document purporting to be an Amended Judgment in a Criminal Case for fellow inmate Leann Raejeana Turner, 48, Blue Springs, Missouri. Turner was also incarcerated at Federal Prison Camp-Bryan after being sentenced to three years in prison for her role in an $11 million mortgage fraud scheme. The fake court order, with a reduced sentence of 120 days of imprisonment for Turner (which would have resulted in her immediate release), included the forged signature of U.S. District Judge Greg Kays.

Shephard mailed the fake court order to her sister, who then faxed it to prison officials from a Sunfresh grocery store in Kansas City, Mo., on November 9, 2014. Upon receiving the document, prison officials determined it was a forgery.

Under federal statutes, Shephard is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole.

Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced the plea.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rudolph R. Rhodes, IV. It was investigated by the FBI.

Gary Bryan Penrod was acquitted by a Federal Jury on twenty-two counts of mail fraud and wire fraud after trial in the Western District of Missouri Federal Court.  This acquittal is as to all charges brought against Penrod.

Albert William Roberts III, 68, Lee’s Summit, Missouri, was sentenced to four years in federal prison without parole in connection with his role in a $3.7 million mortgage fraud scheme. U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes also ordered Roberts to pay $1,992,221 in restitution.

On May 13, 2016, Roberts was found guilty at trial of four counts of wire fraud. Roberts, a retired Kansas City, Missouri., school teacher, obtained a total of $3,758,420 from mortgage lenders and title companies from 2002 to 2007 for the purchase of a dozen properties from Penrod Homes, Inc. – three properties in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, six properties in Peculiar, Missouri, and three properties in Greenwood, Missouri. Most of the homes were priced in the upper $100,000 or lower $200,000 range; the most expensive was a home on about two acres for $1.3 million.

Although Roberts was found guilty of wire fraud specifically in connection with two of those transactions, evidence introduced during the trial indicated that Roberts’ fraud extended to 10 additional properties. Roberts obtained all 12 mortgage loans by material false and fraudulent representations and omissions of facts. He structured the purchases of the homes in such a way that he received $807,203 in kickbacks that were not disclosed to the lenders.

The sentenced was announced by Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri. The case was prosecuted by Senior Litigation Consultant Gregg R. Coonrod and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen Mahoney. It was investigated by the FBI.

Bruce Swisshelm, 68, Battlefield, Missouri, and his son, Bruce Swisshelm II, 43, Springfield, Missouri pleaded guilty in two separate but related cases, to their roles in a more than $5.5 million bank fraud scheme.  Swisshelm pleaded guilty to bank fraud and money laundering. Swisshelm II pleaded guilty to misprision of a felony. Continue Reading…

Joseph Brogan, St. Louis, Missouri, was sentenced to 14 months in prison and ordered to pay more than $350,000 in restitution after pleading guilty to multiple fraud charges related to a scheme involving applications for home loans.

According to court documents, Brogan was employed as a loan officer for USA Mortgage, Inc. where he handled both conventional mortgages and FHA loans.  Michael Wallis owned and operated a company known as Missouri Builders and Home Remodeling (Missouri Builders), which performed interior construction and remodeling work on houses.  Continue Reading…

Bryan Binkholder, 43, Wentzville, Missouri, was sentenced to 108 months in prison on multiple fraud charges involving his financial planning and investment strategy businesses. In addition to the prison sentence, he was also ordered to pay $3,655,980 restitution to the victims.

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Mark Avalos, 50, St. Peters, Missouri, was sentenced to five years probation and ordered to pay $497,000 in restitution after pleading guilty to bank fraud charges relating to his work as the controller for The Mortgage Store (TMS) in 2008. In imposing sentence, United States District Judge Henry E. Autrey noted Avalos’s cooperation in the criminal investigation into the collapse of TMS in 2008.

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