Atlanta Man Cops Plea In Attempt To Use Stolen IDs To "Buy" His Own "Underwater" Investment Homes In Short Sale Scam

In Atlanta, Georgia, The Atlanta Journal Constitution reports:

• An Atlanta man pleaded guilty Tuesday to bilking the FDIC of $2.2 million in a bogus real estate short-sale scheme. Brent Merriell, 37, admitted in federal court to lying to the FDIC and selling 14 homes he owned facing foreclosure to identities he’d stolen, court authorities said.

***

• When he defaulted on all 14 home loans in October 2009, Merriell put the homes on the market as a short sale, asking the FDIC to forgive $2.2 million in loan payoffs so his “buyers” could purchase them at a greatly reduced price.

***

• But Merriell tried to give forged and counterfeited sales contracts and loan commitment letters – generated from seven stolen identities – to the FDIC to complete the sales. He was arrested before the sales went through and before his actions could affect the credit of his seven victims, authorities said.

For the story, see Atlanta man guilty of "cheating FDIC" in short sale scam.