Straw Buyers Plead Guilty To Federal Fraud Charges

Anchorage, Alaska residents Bekim Hasipi, Robin Dorman and Jan Marquiss pleaded guilty in an Alaska Federal Court to one count each of wire fraud for false statements made in applying for mortgage loans. They were allegedly part of a seven person mortgage fraud ring currently being prosecuted on charges of conspiracy, bank fraud, mail fraud and making false statements to financial institutions. Still currently under indictment include Kourosh Partow, who is accused of wrongdoing while he was a manager at the Anchorage branches of Countrywide Home Loans and American Home Mortgage, neither company being accused of wrongdoing.

The others include Azem Limani, Dzevid Limani and Agim Delolli.

Sentencing of the straw buyers has been postponed pending the outcome of the prosecution against the remaining defendants (my guess is prosecutors would like to see how effectively the straw buyers testify against their alleged confederates before recommending to the judge how hard they should be "spanked"). For more, see 3 plead guilty to Anchorage fraud (Mortgage Crime: Prosecutors say four others are part of the loan ring).

For story updates, see:

• Loan fraud nets 18-month sentence (Mortgages: Man was also fined $190,000 in a scheme involving "straw buyers") (Anchorage Daily News - 10-19-07),
• Mortgage banker gets more than 2 years in prison (Associated Press - 8-27-07).