Sentencing Continues For Participants In Maryland-Based Equity Stripping Foreclosure Rescue Scams Peddling Bogus Sale Leaseback Arrangements

From the Office of the U.S. Attorney (Maryland):

• U.S. District Judge Roger W. Titus sentenced Richard Allison, age 38, of Camp Springs, Maryland, an attorney and employee of the U.S. Census Bureau, [...] to 18 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, in connection with a mortgage fraud scheme(1) which falsely promised to help homeowners facing foreclosure keep their homes and repair their damaged credit, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein. Judge Titus also sentenced co-conspirator Carlisha Dixon, age 32, of Hyattsville, Maryland [...] to five months in prison and five months home detention, followed by five years of supervised release for the conspiracy. Judge Titus also entered an order of restitution against Dixon of $180,000 and deferred restitution for Allison pending a hearing on October 7th to determine the amount and allocation of restitution among the victims.

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• Using the [victimized] homeowners’ properties, the conspirators applied for mortgages to extract the maximum available equity from the homes. They prepared and submitted fraudulent loan applications to mortgage lenders to obtain fraudulently inflated loans on the target properties in the straw buyers’ names. At settlements, the conspirators imposed numerous fees and required “seller contributions” which were far in excess of industry standards; they imposed fees for services which were not performed, disclosed or explained to the homeowners; and they transferred the sale proceeds out of the escrow accounts into the conspirators’ business and personal bank accounts and converted a substantial portion of those funds to their personal use.

For the entire U.S. Attorney press release, see Lawyer and Conspirator Sentenced in Metropolitan Money Store Mortgage Fraud Scheme.

For the indictment, see U.S. v. JoyJackson, et al.

With regard to the ongoing civil class action lawsuits involving Metropolitan Money Store and its associates:

• Go here for Notice to Class Members & Request to Opt-In/Participate,
• Go here for the Metropolitan Money Store class action website.

(1) Ten defendants, including a lawyer, mortgage broker, real estate agent, loan processor, company officers and family members have pleaded guilty in this scheme. Kurt Fordham, age 39, of Fort Washington, Maryland was sentenced on July 10, 2009 to 10 years in prison for his participation in the scheme. Fordham was personally responsible for over $13.5 million of losses to mortgage lenders and used over $800,000 of fraudulently obtained proceeds to pay for his wedding. The remaining defendants are scheduled to be sentenced within the next three months.