The Blotter

A real estate and tax attorney from Texas turned himself in to authorities following the return of a federal indictment alleging he and others participated in a mortgage fraud scheme involving properties in Surfside and Freeport, Texas. Read on for more details.

The former owners of a Wisconsin title and closing company were indicted for their roles in a bank fraud conspiracy in which they allegedly diverted more than $1.8 million from their company’s escrow accounts. Read on for more details.

A Harris County title company owner in Texas was ordered to prison following his conviction for defrauding seven different Houston-area banks or more than $2 million in 2007 and 2008. He had admitted to using the money as interest-free loans, lines of credit and sources of funds for his personal use. Read on for more details.

A Des Moines area attorney and real estate agent both were convicted of bank fraud after an eight-day jury trial. The fraud was perpetrated in connection with a property flipping scheme they conducted with three others. Read on for more details.

Here is another sad fraud story of a trusted employee stealing from her employer.

An Illinois radio talk show host was sentenced for stealing from her real estate clients. Read on for more details.

A Pennsylvania attorney pleaded guilty in federal court to embezzling funds and diverting funds from his firm’s escrow account, as well as being involved in several loan fraud schemes. Read on for more details.

Lt. Gov. and Insurance Director Mary Taylor announced Ohio’s top fraud and enforcement cases for 2014 investigated by the Ohio Department of Insurance. Among them was the case of a former Findlay title agent who was sentenced in a forgery and theft case. Read on for more details.

Five people were sentenced to time in prison in North Carolina, the latest in Operation Wax House, an investigation which began in 2007 and led to 91 defendants being charged. Read on for more details.

Despite elevated fraud risk in distressed markets, nationally overall fraud risk is declining, according to the latest Mortgage Fraud Risk Report from Interthinx, which covers data from the third quarter of 2014. Read on for more of the findings.