Michelle Marie Anderson, a former licensed Realtor with Artisan Realty Group in Sisters, Ore., (NOT the Michele Anderson who is a Realtor with Cascade Sotheby’s in Bend) pled guilty and was convicted in Deschutes County Circuit Court of the felony crime of forgery in the first degree.
The prosecution of Anderson was the result of several months of investigation by the Deschutes County District Attorney’s office, the State of Oregon Department of Consumer & Business Services-Finance & Corporate Securities Division, and the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office.
The investigation uncovered an ongoing mortgage fraud scheme, implemented by Mark Franklin Broeg involving Anderson. According to State investigators, Broeg created a fictitious business, McCoy Capital, which he used in an attempt to obtain fraudulent loans and illegal commissions, while posing as a mortgage broker. These illegal business activities included attempts to fraudulently purchase both residential and development properties in Deschutes County, valued in total over $5 million dollars. Anderson obtained the assistance of Broeg in one transaction, in which she attempted to complete a fraudulent home purchase.
Broeg is charged with seven felony counts including racketeering, mortgage fraud, and other theft related charges. He failed to appear for trial in April and a warrant for his arrest was issued by the court.
A condition of the District Attorney’s resolution of the case against Anderson was that she never work again as a real estate agent. She was sentenced in court and in addition to ordering Anderson to surrender her real estate license the court sentenced her to 24 months of probation, 160 hours of community service, three days in jail and payment of restitution to her victims.