A Prince George’s County judge found William Wayland guilty following a two-day bench trial. Wayland was convicted of theft, not providing a necessary contract and taking money before providing services in a mortgage-theft scheme.
During the trial, the victim, Patricia Duckett, testified she met Wayland through her hairdresser and he told her he was a lawyer with a firm in Clinton, Md., and promised to obtain a mortgage modification to lower her monthly payments. Wayland is not licensed as an attorney in Maryland. Duckett paid him over $7,000 from March 2017 to August 2019 for the service, which she didn’t receive.
As part of the process Wayland told Duckett to stop paying her mortgage to put the loan in default so that the bank would negotiate with him to prevent the loan foreclosure and provide Duckett with a new mortgage with a new favorable rate and lower monthly payments. Wayland later said he would file two bankruptcies for her and obtain a loan modification of her home mortgage. Duckett eventually lost her home in District Heights when it went into foreclosure. Other witnesses testified they also paid Wayland for loan modification services.
“We are pleased with the judge’s decision in this case,” State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy said. “Financial crimes are always of concern especially when they target seniors, who are among our most vulnerable populations. I commend Duckett for bravely testifying and fighting back in this case despite losing her home and I encourage anyone who has been wronged in a similar way to come forward so we can seek justice for them as well.”