The Blotter

A mortgage elimination company owner was convicted at trial of participating in a conspiracy to commit bank fraud, wire fraud, and mail fraud in connection with a fraudulent debt-elimination scheme to defraud homeowners and banks. Read on for more details.

A north Illinois suburban businessman has been indicted on bank fraud and identity theft charges for allegedly fraudulently obtaining millions of dollars in mortgage and vehicle loans and using stolen identities to secure credit from financial institutions. Read on for more details.

Two Bergen County, New Jersey, men have admitted their respective roles in a scheme to defraud financial institutions and others. Read on for more details.

First American’s Loan Application Defect Index showed that defect risk declined in April for the first time in eight months. Read on for more details.

Bank CEO Stephen M. Calk was charged with financial institution bribery for corruptly using his position as the head of the bank to issue millions of dollars in high-risk loans to Paul Manafort in exchange for assistance in obtaining a senior position with the Trump administration.

A federal grand jury in Western New York returned a 114-count superseding indictment charging four men with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud for their roles in a half-billion dollar mortgage fraud scheme. The defendants each face various additional charges such as wire and bank fraud, and money laundering. The same day, the Securities and Exchange Commission filed an emergency action charging one of the defendants with fraud for siphoning and misusing investor funds. Read on for more details.

A South Carolina accountant was sentenced to time in prison after pleading guilty to conspiring to commit bank fraud for producing false documentation in support of loan applications. Read on for more details.

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra announced the sentencing of the operator of a $2 million mortgage fraud scheme throughout Southern California. Read on for more details.

Georgia Insurance Commissioner Jim C. Beck has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of wire fraud, mail fraud and money laundering. The 38-count indictment alleges that Beck stole more than $2 million from his former employer, the Georgia Underwriting Association, during the five years just prior to Beck’s election to statewide office in November 2018. Read on for more details.

Nathan E. Hardwick IV, former LandCastle Title LLC CEO, was ordered to pay $40.3 million in restitution to victims of his scheme to defraud his law firm out of millions of dollars. Previously he was found guilty at trial of wire fraud, conspiracy and making false statements to a federally insured financial institution and sentenced to 15 years in prison. Read on for more details.