Head Of Virginia-Based Loan Modification Outfit Hit With Multiple Felony Charges Accusing Him Of Ripping Off Homeowners Seeking House Payment Help

In Prince George's County, Maryland, the Business Gazette reports:

• A Virginia man has been accused of targeting Maryland residents for fraudulent mortage loan modifications that caused some residents to have their homes foreclosed. A Prince George's County grand jury indicted Howard Shmuckler, 67, of Virginia Beach on Tuesday on 10 counts of aggregate theft over $500, 10 counts of conspiracy to commit theft, and 10 violations of operating a credit business without a license, according to Prince Geroge's County's state's attorney's office.

• Although residents across Maryland fell victim to the scam, the charges were brought against Shmuckler in Prince George's County because some victims lived in the county, and the county state's attorney's office has a prosecutor dedicated to mortgage fraud cases, said Shannon M. Davis, a spokeswoman for the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation.

***

• Fees between $1,750 and $6,000 were paid up front by homeowners to render services, and more than $1.2 million was collected in total by the business, according to the regulatory office. Some of the residents who paid Shmuckler's company lost their homes to foreclosure due to the scam, authorities said.

For the story, see Man indicted for scamming Maryland homeowners (279 homeowners paid company for mortgage services they never received).

See also NBC Washington: Mortgage Relief Scam Alleged in Prince George's County.

For an earlier post on Shmuckler, see Northern Virginia Loan Modification Firm The Target Of Media Scrutiny, Customer Protests.