South Florida Man Gets 10 Years In Slammer In Straw Buyer, Identity Theft Mortgage Fraud

The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports that Ishmael Grant, 60, of Lauderhill, Florida was sentenced Friday to 10 years in prison for his role in a South Florida crime ring that used stolen identities to buy more than 30 homes and receive $10 million in mortgages. Prosecutors had said Grant was involved in obtaining fraudulent mortgages valued at $3.3 million.

U.S. District Judge William Dimitrouleas reportedly described Grant as a leader in an "extensive criminal enterprise," involving eleven ring members who were accused of paying straw buyers to get mortgages. Eight of the 11 suspects charged have pleaded guilty in the fraud scam. Grant is the only one who has fought the charges at trial. The remaining two suspects are believed to be in Jamaica. The government is reportedly in the process of having them extradited.

For more, see Lauderhill man sentenced to 10 years for charges stemming from mortgage fraud case (Lauderhill man led group that used stolen IDs).

For a copy of the indictment in this case, see Indictment - USA vs. Patterson, Brown, McGuire, et al., (detailing the Federal Grand Jury's 47 charges against the 11 person fraud ring).