The Blotter

A New York jury has rendered a guilty verdict against a 63-year-old man for using fake deeds to steal two brownstones in Harlem valued at about $4.7 million, according to the office of New York Attorney General Letitia James.

New York Attorney General Letitia James announced on June 25 the arrest and indictment of a Queens (N.Y.) man for stealing the home of an elderly woman living in East Flatbush, Brooklyn, while she was receiving dementia care in her home.

An Orange County, Calif., man was arrested in connection to a federal criminal complaint charging him with defrauding a bank out of nearly $100 million by manipulating title policies to misrepresent collateral that had been pledged to the bank.

Brandon Dutch Mendenhall, 46, from Brandon, Fla., has been indicted for one count of mail fraud connected to a mortgage application. If found guilty, he could face up to 20 years in federal prison.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg Jr. announced on May 28 the indictment of 18 individuals and three companies, all accused of conspiring to steal a home deed and fraudulently obtaining a mortgage and construction loan totaling $1,636,000.

A Manhattan-based real estate attorney was charged on May 28 for stealing approximately $700,000 from three of her clients after being retained as a seller’s attorney in three separate real estate closings last year.

A bank founder from Tampa, Fla., was sentenced to 12 years in prison for his involvement in a bribery and fraud scheme that bankrupted various insurance companies, leaving many policyholders with unpaid claims.

A former Kings County Supreme Court justice and his accomplice were charged with wire fraud conspiracy at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn on May 13. The defendants face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

A dual citizen of the United States and the Philippines has been charged with wire fraud after stealing more than $6.6 million from his employer through his job overseeing mortgage payments related to residential mortgage-backed securities.

The owners of a Portland, Ore.-area real estate investment company were sentenced to federal prison on April 30 for defrauding investors and submitting falsified loan applications.