Florida Man Cops Plea In Combo Home Improvement Scam & Mortgage Fraud

An investigation into an alleged mortgage fraud / home improvement scam operation that hit the Tampa / St. Peterburg, Florida area which has implicated six defendants has claimed its first conviction.

The alleged ringleader, Scott Almeida, is the first of the defendants to "get to the courthouse" and successfully agree to a plea bargain with authorities, an agreement which requires him, among other things, to "cooperate with prosecutors" (ie. become a "snitch") in the prosecution of his five now former confederates. The following excerpt comes from the Office of the Florida Attorney General's Office:

• Attorney General Bill McCollum [last week] announced that a Hillsborough County man pleaded guilty to multiple charges of racketeering, conspiracy to commit racketeering, mortgage fraud, and grand theft. Scott Anthony Almeida will be sentenced to 10 years prison at a later date for a mortgage fraud scam that victimized more than 100 individuals. As part of his plea agreement, Almeida will cooperate with authorities in both the cases pending against his co-defendants and in several active investigations. He is also prohibited from working in the mortgage or title industries.

• The three-year investigation began when victims filed complaints about incomplete or substandard construction work being performed by construction companies affiliated with Almeida. Almeida and his associates secured mortgages for these homeowners to finance the home repair projects by submitting fraudulent documents to Argent Mortgage Company, one of the nation’s largest wholesale “sub-prime” mortgage companies. Investigators followed the trail of fraudulent applications back to the organized criminal operation which submitted nearly 130 loans to Argent which were funded for approximately $13 million.

The cases against co-defendants Orson Benn, Frank Giffone, Samuel Green, Adrienne White and Bradford Peck are still pending.

For more, see Ringleader of Mortgage Fraud Group Guilty of Racketeering, Grand Theft (Hillsborough County man organized scam involving fraudulent mortgage loans and bad contractors). Go here for the Spanish version of the AG's Press Release.

For media reports on this conviction, see:

• Tampa man gets 10 years in fraud case (The mortgage scam bilked millions from homeowners) (St. Petersburg Times),
• Mortgage fraud ringleader pleads guilty (Tampa Bay Business Journal).

Go here for prior posts on this alleged scam and the arrest of the defendants.

More On Multi Million Dollar Tampa Bay Home Improvement Mortgage Fraud Scam

(revised 7-20-07)
In Central Florida, mortgage brokers Scott Almeida and Frank Giffone, both of Tampa, and three others have been arrested and charged for their alleged involvement in a multimillion dollar mortgage fraud scheme in the Tampa Bay area. According to investigators, the group passed out fliers that lured residents on fixed incomes to agree to a mortgage to finance home improvement projects. Investigators said a majority of the improvement projects were never started. They said it was one of the largest fraud cases they've ever seen in the Bay area. Their companies included Giff Inc., Priority One Title Services and Advanced Mortgage Solutions and Florida Beautiful Construction Management Inc.

According to a chief investigator at the Hillsborough County Consumer Protection Agency, "The defendants were targeting the low-income areas of town, which typically in this case were all minorities, uneducated, poor, dilapidated houses in many cases that needed repairs." The current criminal case focuses on 31 fraudulent mortgage loans, but it’s believed Almeida and his associates submitted about 180 loans totaling $18 million through Argent Mortgage Company.

Others arrested include two Argent employees, Orson Benn, 36, and Samuel Green, 27, who investigators say Almeida paid off to approve loans even though they knew supporting documents were fake, and Adrienne White, 37, who worked as a loan processor for Almeida. There is currently an arrest warrant out for a sixth person, Bradford Chase Peck.

For the local TV reports, watch:

Channel 10 TV report - FRAUD: Mortgage employees busted stealing millions

Channel 9 TV report - Five accused of mortgage fraud (They allegedly got people to take out loans, but didn't start construction).

To read Channel 9 online report, see Five accused of mortgage fraud.

For Tampa Tribune article, see 5 Arrested In Mortgage Scam.

For St. Petersburg Times article, see Loan scam hits dozens (Investigators describe victims across Florida, then five arrests).

More On Tampa / St. Pete Multi Million Dollar Mortgage Fraud

The arrests of Scott Almeida, Orson Benn, Adrienne White, Frank Giffone, and Samuel Green for allegedly fraudulently obtaining mortgages in the names of local homeowners solicited for home improvement projects was the result of a three-year joint investigation by the Tampa Police Department (TPD), Hillsborough County Consumer Protection Agency (HCCPA), Pinellas County Department of Justice and Consumer Services (PCDJCS), Florida Attorney General’s Office of Statewide Prosecution (OSWP), and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE).

Investigators conducted hundreds of interviews, issued approximately 250 subpoenas, and reviewed tens of thousands of documents over this period of time.

Of the five charged, Orson Benn and Samuel Green are former high-ranking employees of the Argent Mortgage Company White Plains, New York office who, according to authorities, subverted Argent policies and approved fraudulent documents and loan packages submitted by the others.

The other three defendants, Scott Almeida, Frank Giffone and Adrienne White, are reportedly all former owners, principals or employees of the mortgage brokerages Advanced Mortgage Solutions and Consumer Lending Resources. In addition to the mortgage brokerages, they also operated two home improvement companies: Premier Quality Renovations and Florida Beautiful Construction, according to authorities.

In addition to Argent, fraudulent loans were also allegedly submitted by Almeida and processed and approved by Pinnacle Mortgage Company, Decision One Mortgage Company and Mortgage Lenders Network USA.

Authorities say Argent Mortgage executives and their outside legal counsel have cooperated with investigators and have provided information and documents to support the investigation. Argent has also communicated with and assisted the homeowners victimized in this case, many of whom were facing potential foreclosure actions. (Strictly in terms of dollar amounts, however, Argent itself looks like the single biggest victim of the fraud).

For more, see FDLE News Release - Former Mortgage Company Employees Charged in Multi-Million Dollar Racketeering Case.

Go here for other posts on this story.

Final Suspect In Home Improvement/Mortgage Scam Resulting In Ripped Off Home Equity Involving 130 Loans & $13M Convicted By Florida Jury

From the Florida Attorney General's Office:

• Attorney General Bill McCollum [last week] announced that the final participant in a multi-million dollar mortgage fraud scheme has been convicted by a Polk County jury after only 45 minutes of deliberation. Samuel Green faces up to 60 years in prison for his role in the scheme which spanned more than two years and involved loans in Hillsborough, Lee, Pinellas and Polk counties.

***

• The three-year investigation began when victims filed complaints about incomplete or substandard construction work being performed by construction companies affiliated with co-defendant Scott Almeida.(1) Almeida and his associates secured mortgages for homeowners to finance the home repair projects by submitting fraudulent documents to Argent Mortgage Company. Co-defendant Orson Benn,(2) as vice president of Argent, approved or oversaw the approval of the fraudulent loan applications. Green also worked for Argent as an account manager and a regional production manager and assisted with the approval of the loans.

• Investigators followed the trail of fraudulent applications back to the organized criminal operation which submitted nearly 130 loans to Argent that were funded for approximately $13 million.(3)

For more, see Participant in $13 Million Mortgage Fraud Scheme Convicted by Polk County Jury.

Go here for links to earlier media reports on this story.

(1) Almeida pleaded guilty last October and will serve 10 years in prison for the crimes he committed. He received statewide publicity in the recent Miami Herald investigative report on convicted felons running rampant in the Florida mortgage origination industry.

(2) Benn was convicted by a jury in July; and was sentenced in September to 18 years in prison.

(3) Co-defendants Frank Giffone, Adrienne White and Bradford Peck have all pleaded guilty to similar charges; Giffone and White will be sentenced at a later date and Peck was previously sentenced to eight years in prison. Green will be sentenced in October.

More On Tampa / St. Pete Mortgage Fraud / Home Improvement Scam

WFTS-TV Channel 28 provides the following advisory:

• "If you feel that you were a victim of the mortgage fraud scheme through Advanced Mortgage Solutions, Consumer Lending Resources or any other company run by Scott Almeida, Frank Giffone or Adrienne White, you can contact the Clearwater office of FDLE and ask for either Ellen Wilcox or Troy Walker. They can be reached at 727-298-2482 or 800-226-7203."

Source: WFTS-TV Channel 28 website.

In this case, the arrests of Scott Almeida, Orson Benn, Adrienne White, Frank Giffone, and Samuel Green for allegedly fraudulently obtaining mortgages in the names of local homeowners solicited for home improvement projects was the result of a three-year joint investigation.

The companies involved in the alleged fraud are mortgage brokerages Advanced Mortgage Solutions and Consumer Lending Resources. Two home improvement companies: Premier Quality Renovations and Florida Beautiful Construction, were also allegedly involved, according to authorities.

Also charged in this matter is Bradford Chase Peck.

In addition to the victimized homeowners, Argent Mortgage was the main financial institution victimized in this case.

Go here for other posts on this story.

Florida Mortgage Broker Charged In Multimillion Dollar Racketeering Fraud

The St. Petersburg Times reports:

• "State investigators arrested a Lithia man Wednesday in a multimillion-dollar racketeering mortgage fraud case, the result of a three-year probe into the former mortgage broker. Scott A. Almeida ... is accused of obtaining mortgages under false pretenses, according to his attorney, Todd Foster. Almeida faces charges of racketeering, conspiracy to commit racketeering, seven counts of grand theft and six counts of obtaining a mortgage by false representation, jail records show."

For more, see Arrest made in mortgage fraud case (A man is in jail after a three-year inquiry).

Go here for other posts on this story.

NJ AG Targets 39 In Suits Alleging Equity Stripping, Sale Leaseback Scams; Involved $13.5M In Bogus Loans & 48 Homeowners Screwed Out Of $3M+, Says AG

In Bergen County, New Jersey, The Star Ledger reports:

• Forty-eight New Jersey property owners have lost more than $3 million in home equity through "foreclosure rescue" schemes operated by Vest Financial and JP Global Property Management Inc., according to civil lawsuits filed by the state Attorney General's office.

• The lawsuits accuse the two companies, as well as 37 mortgage loan providers, mortgage industry employees, lawyers and others of violating the state's Consumer Fraud Act and the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. The state is seeking restitution for the property owners, penalties and permanent bans to keep them offering similar schemes to others.

***

• [New Jersey Attorney General Anne] Milgram said the companies preyed on desperate homeowners behind on their mortgages by persuading them to sell their properties to third-party investors as part of complex "sale and lease-back" schemes. [...] Vest Financial and JP Global never followed through on their promises. Instead, Milgram said, the companies stripped the homes of their equity value through the scheme and left the homeowners with no means to pay rent and with ruined credit histories.

For more, see State accuses firms of running predatory 'foreclosure rescue' schemes.

See also: Legal Newsline: Milgram: Foreclosure rescue schemes nothing but fraud ("Milgram says the defendants used predatory foreclosure rescue schemes to convince homeowners to sign over their homes, obtained at least $13.5 million in fraudulent loans and stole at least $3 million in homeowner equity.").

From the New Jersey Attorney General's office:

• NJ AG's lawsuit #1: Milgram v. Vest Financial LLC, et al.,(1)
• NJ AG's lawsuit #2: Milgram v. JP Global Property Management, Inc., et al.,(2)
• NJ AG's press release: Attorney General Sues Foreclosure Rescue Operations for Fraud and Racketeering (Defendants Allegedly Preyed on Homeowners Desperate to Avoid Foreclosure).

Go here for criminal prosecutions of foreclosure rescue operators.

For more on equity stripping scams, generally, see Dreams Foreclosed: The Rampant Theft of Americans' Homes Through Equity-stripping Foreclosure 'Rescue' Scams (4.61 MB approx.).

(1) The Defendants in this lawsuit are: Vest Financial, formerly of Paramus; Metropolitan Mortgage Services, Inc., of Cliffside Park; Alex Armani of Cliffside Park; Sohrab Moussavian of Englewood; Anthony Scordo III of West Orange; Felix Nihamin, an attorney who resides in Franklin Lakes and practices in New York City; Francis A. Ciambrone, an attorney with law offices in Paramus; Rhys A. Herrmann, of Belleville; JP Global Property Management LLC of Bloomfield; Peter H. Eckhardt, Jr. of Livingston; Philip Altieri of Flemington; Kristopher Pilone of Manalapan; DBK Realty Investments LLC of Edison; Tom A. Andriopoulos of Washington Township (Bergen County); Settlement Source, LLC of Edison; Vivian M. Ruiz of Hillsdale; and Glen B. Thompson, New York City.

(2) The Defendants in this lawsuit are: JP Global Property Management; Jeremy P. Sorvino of Waldwick; Jeffrey M. Malen of Ringwood; Peter Eckhardt, Jr.; Christopher William Eckhardt of Washington Township, (Bergen County); Anthony Scordo III of West Orange; Nihamin; Michael J. Andalaft, an attorney with law offices in Cedar Grove; Capital Hill Mortgage, Inc.; Stanley Capital Mortgage Company, Inc. of Englewood Cliffs; Rhys A. Herrmann of Belleville; Brendan Joseph Flynn of Fort Lee; Maryann E. Sorvino of Ridgewood; Frances B. Benna of Elmwood Park; Vincent F. Latorre of Kenilworth; Jennifer R. Kortman of Livingston; Rebecca A. Kortman of Chatham; William McVeigh of Wharton; Mauricio V. Almeida of Colonia; and Thompson.

Central Florida $13M Home Improvement & Mortgage Fraud Scam Yields Another Guilty Plea

The Florida Attorney General's Office announces:

• Attorney General Bill McCollum [Wednesday] announced that a Hillsborough County woman pleaded guilty to criminal charges of racketeering and conspiracy to commit racketeering. Adrienne L. White was involved in a multi-million dollar mortgage fraud scam that stretched across the state and involved one of the nation’s largest sub-prime mortgage companies. [...] White, 31, was part of a criminal enterprise which submitted nearly 130 fraudulent documents to Argent Mortgage Company for approximately $13 million in home loans. The three-year investigation was initiated by consumer complaints about incomplete or substandard construction work performed by construction companies affiliated with White’s co-defendants. Her associates would secure fraudulently-obtained mortgages for these homeowners to finance the home repair construction projects.

For more, see the Florida AG's news release: Hillsborough County Woman Pleads to Criminal Racketeering Involving Mortgage Fraud.

Go here for earlier posts on this prosecution.

For other posts on builders & contractors accused of stiffing customers, go here and go here. contractors stiff subs customers zeta scott almeida

New Jersey Upfront Fee Foreclosure Rescue Operator Cops Plea To Stiffing 77 Homeowners

In Mount Holly, New Jersey, the Burlington County Times reports:

• A Mount Laurel man who operated a mortgage consulting firm has pleaded guilty to stealing $105,000 from homeowners who hired him to help save their properties. Peter Rogers, 65, of St. David Drive admitted in court Friday that he intentionally took money from 77 victims and did little or no work to help them. Some of those victims ultimately lost their homes or had to declare bankruptcy, authorities said.

• Rogers pleaded guilty to theft by deception before Superior Court Judge John A. Almeida. [...] He reached out to homeowners he found [...] through foreclosure notices in the newspaper and “created the impression that he would save their home.” Rogers was paid between $400 and $3,700 by each homeowner, authorities said.

Rogers also faced charges of forgery and securing execution of documents by deception which, as part of the plea bargain, are expected to be dismissed at a June 24 hearing.

For more, see Mt. Laurel man admits mortgage-fraud guilt.

For an earlier story on this case, see Judge says businessman will face two trials.

Go here for earlier posts and available updates on this case.

South Jersey Foreclosure Rescue Operator Gets Eight Years For Ripping Off 77 Homeowners

In Burlington County, New Jersey, CBS-TV Channel 3 (Philadelphia) reports:

• A Mount Laurel, New Jersey man was sentenced to eight years in prison Tuesday after pleading guilty to stealing from homeowners who hired him to save their properties from foreclosure. Peter Rogers was paid thousands of dollars by people that hoped he could help them save their homes. After collecting over $105,000 in all, he left the homeowners to fend for themselves.

• The 65-year old Rogers appeared in a Burlington County court room Tuesday after pleading guilty to defrauding 77 people who hired him to help save their homes from foreclosure. Victim after victim testified before Superior Court Judge John Almeida, telling how Rogers and his company, Express Consolidation Refinance and Mortgage Consultation, ripped them off.

For more, see Mortgage Fraud Defendant Sentenced.

In a related story, see Victims of scam have their say.

Go here for earlier posts on Peter Rogers.

Florida AG Gets Guilty Plea In Statewide Mortgage Fraud / Home Improvement Scam

In Central Florida, WFTS-TV reports:

• Attorney General Bill McCollum announced Monday that a former Hillsborough County resident was convicted of multiple charges of racketeering and conspiracy to commit racketeering and was sentenced to eight years in prison. Bradford C. Peck was the point person for a multi-million dollar mortgage fraud scam that stretched across the state and involved one of the nation’s largest sub-prime mortgage companies.

***

• "This scheme preyed on people who were trying to make improvements to their homes and instead were victimized and cheated out of not only the home repairs but also their hard-earned money," said Attorney General McCollum. "Without the cooperation of state and local law enforcement, this criminal operation might still be in business." Peck, 31, was part of a criminal enterprise which submitted nearly 130 loan applications to Argent Mortgage Company which resulted in funding for approximately $13 million in home loans. [...] The construction work, when provided, was often substandard and incomplete. [...] Argent executives and outside counsel cooperated with the investigation and assisted the victims in this case, many of whom were facing potential foreclosure actions.

For more, see Hillsborough man pleads guilty to mortgage fraud.

See also, St. Petersburg Times: Mortgage fraud figure gets 8 years in prison.

For Florida AG's news release, see Key Player in Mortgage Fraud Scheme Gets 8 Years in Prison (Statewide scheme victimized dozens of individuals).

Go here for earlier posts on this prosecution.

For other posts on builders & contractors accused of stiffing customers, go here and go here. contractors stiff subs customers zeta scott almeida