We audited American Property Financial (American), a nonsupervised loan correspondent approved to originate Federal Housing Administration mortgage loans under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Single Family Direct Endorsement Program. American originated 83 Federal Housing Administration loans between February 1, 2002, and January 31, 2004. As of February 23, 2004, 14 of the 83 loans were in default status. Synergy…

WACO, Texas – An Austin woman was sentenced in a federal court in Waco today to 37 months in prison for embezzling federal funds for personal use while serving as the executive director of the Killeen Housing Authority (KHA).According to court documents, Deadra Johnson, 53, fraudulently obtained KHA funds and used them to pay for her personal expenses, including rent, utilities, auto maintenance, internet service, airline tickets, and furniture…

Editor's Note:This matter occurred on date indicated, but not published at that time due to government shutdown. Press release posted and made available following the return to normal operations.  HOUSTON – A 20-count indictment has been unsealed following the arrest of a 56-year-old Porter resident for fraudulently applying for and receiving a newly built house worth $435,000, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas Ganjei.Sharai Poteet also…

San Francisco, CA – Today, San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins announced that Maggie Pasigan, 49, and Daisy Avalos, 47, both of San Francisco, were charged for defrauding various public benefits providers of over $500,000.  They were both arraigned on March 13, 2025, and each pleaded not guilty.  Ms. Pasigan and Ms. Avalos are each charged with grand theft, welfare fraud, money laundering, and conspiracy.“I would like…

PLANO, Texas – Three Texas women have been charged with federal violations related to a mortgage fraud scheme in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs.Nicole Espinosa, also known as Short Sale Queen, 35, of Plano; Stephanie Smith, also known as Stephanie Parks, 44, of Midlothian; and Selena Baltazar-Hill, 28, of Dallas, were indicted by a federal grand jury on November 20, 2024, and charged with federal…

SAN FRANCISCO – Tjoman Buditaslim, Jose De Jesus Martinez, and Jose Alfonso Tellez were sentenced today to 24 months, 14 months, and 12 months in prison, respectively, for their participation in a mortgage fraud conspiracy.  The sentences were handed down by the Honorable Charles R. Breyer, Senior U.S. District Judge.Buditaslim, 52, of San Francisco, Martinez, 59, of Daly City, Tellez, 27, of San Jose, and a fourth defendant, Travis…

LOS ANGELES – California Attorney General Rob Bonta today announced the unsealing of a grand jury indictment against the owners of three mortgage brokerage firms and 11 affiliates in a mortgage fraud scheme. Fraudulent loan applications and financial documentation were allegedly used to obtain eight loans totaling $3.69 million. The fraudulent loans were then used by unsuspecting borrowers to purchase properties located in the counties of…

Defendant Allegedly Misrepresented He Was in the Military to Obtain Additional Pay and BenefitsSAN FRANCISCO – A federal grand jury indicted Omar Naziry, a former employee of a global security and aerospace company, with mail fraud for falsely representing he was in the military to obtain pay and benefits.  The defendant made his initial appearance in the Northern District of California on Sept. 25, 2024.According to an indictment filed…

A California real estate executive was sentenced today to one year and one day in prison, followed by two years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a fine of $200,000 for engaging in an extensive multi-year conspiracy to falsify financial statements.According to court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, Tyler Ross, 38, of San Francisco, and formerly of Michigan, served as co-chief executive officer of ROCO Real Estate LLC and…

Defendant Falsely Claimed Eligibility for Housing VouchersSAN FRANCISCO – Gregory Finkelson was sentenced to one year in prison for theft of government property in connection with his fraudulent receipt of hundreds of thousands of dollars in low-income housing benefits, announced United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey; Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp; U.S. Department of Housing and Urban…

The City of Los Angeles has agreed to pay $38.2 million to resolve allegations that it knowingly failed to meet federal accessibility requirements when it sought and used Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) grant funds for multifamily affordable housing.HUD provides grant funds to Los Angeles and other cities to support housing and community development, including building and rehabilitating affordable multifamily housing units.…

Defendant Admitted His Role in a Scheme to Fraudulently Originate More Than $55 Million in Residential Mortgages Using Fake Documents to Fraudulently Boost Loan Applicant IncomeSAN FRANCISCO – Tjoman Buditaslim pleaded guilty in federal court in San Francisco yesterday to wire fraud conspiracy, announced United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey; Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General (HUD-OIG), Western Region…