Santa Ana, CA - Orange County Man Sentenced to 108 Months in Federal Prison in $21 Million ‘Builder Bailout’ Fraud Scheme

An Orange County man was sentenced to federal prison for his leadership role in a “builder bailout” mortgage fraud scheme.

Momoud Aref Abaji, 37, of Huntington Beach, was sentenced to 108 months in prison by United States District Judge Andrew Guilfo... More...   $0 (07-19-2018 - CA)

Bobby S. Dutta appeals the district court’s grant of summary judgment to State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (“State Farm”) on his claim that State Farm violated provisions of the Fair Credit Reporting Act of 1970 (“FCRA”). The relevant FCRA provisions require a prospective employer to provide a job applicant with a copy of his consumer credit report, notice of his FCRA rights, and an o... More...   $0 (07-19-2018 - CA)

In 1998, Thomas Fledderman was operating an antique furniture and
antique art pottery retail business in Mt. Healthy. When his landlord demanded
possession of the retail space and the second-floor apartment that Thomas
Fledderman had occupied, Thomas Fledderman attempted to purchase a commercial
storefront building located on Spring Grove Avenue in the city of Cincinnati, Ohio... More...   $0 (07-18-2018 - OH)

St. Louis, MO - St. Louis Woman Sentenced on Fraud Charges

Carol J. Dotson was sentenced to 36 months’ imprisonment on wire fraud charges. She was also ordered to pay restitution in excess of $2,043,248 million dollars.

According to court documents, from July 2003 to February 2017, Doston embezzled more than $2 million dollars from a commercial real estate property management c... More...   $0 (07-18-2018 - MO)

This appeal arises from a foreclosure on the home of Thomas and Mary Litterer
in Burnsville, Minnesota. The home was sold at a sheriff’s sale to U.S. Bank, the
mortgage owner, in November 2014. The redemption period—that is, the period
during which the Litterers could pay off their debt and “redeem” their
property—expired on March 1, 2015. On March 2, the Litterers sued their loan<... More...   $0 (07-12-2018 - MN)

Jack Mulvey (“Decedent”) died testate with two surviving children and a spouse. His first wife and one son, Kevin Mulvey, predeceased him. The
2

Decedent’s daughter, Sheila Stephens (“Daughter”), sued the Decedent’s second wife, Thelma Mulvey (“Widow”). The Daughter claimed the Widow exerted undue influence on the Decedent and interfered with her expected inheritance. To provid... More...   $0 (06-28-2018 - FL)

Christina Felts appeals from an order granting summary judgment in favor of her mortgage servicer, Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. (“Wells Fargo”), with respect to Felts’ claim that Wells Fargo failed to conduct a reasonable investigation into the accuracy of its credit reporting of her mortgage loan, in violation of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (“the FCRA” or “the Act”), 15 U.S.C. § 1681 et seq. The dist... More...   $0 (06-27-2018 - FL)

Kansas City, MO - KC Woman Sentenced for False Tax Return Related to $466,000 Embezzlement

A Kansas City, Mo., woman who embezzled from her family’s company was sentenced in federal court on June 27, 2018 for failing to pay taxes on at least $466,000.

Tammera Goodman, 56, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to two years in federal prison without parole. The cou... More...   $0 (06-27-2018 - MO)

Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, foreignnationals seeking entry into the United States undergo a vetting process to ensure that they satisfy the numerous requirements for admission. The Act also vests the President with authority to restrict the entry of aliens whenever he finds that their entry “would be detrimental to the interests of the United States.” 8 U. S. C. §1182(f). Relying on... More...   $0 (06-26-2018 - DC)

Plaintiff Daryl Sutula‐Johnson
sued her former employer, alleging that its changes to her
compensation for selling office furniture breached its contract
with her and violated the Illinois Wage Payment and Collection
Act. The district court granted summary judgment for the
employer. We affirm summary judgment for the employer on
2 No. 17‐1855
the claims for ... More...   $0 (06-25-2018 - IL)

This case is about the legality of a military officer serving as a judge on both an Air Force appeals court and theCourt of Military Commission Review (CMCR). The petitioner, an airman convicted of crimes in the military justice system, contends that the judge’s holding of dual offices violated a statute regulating military service, aswell as the Constitution’s Appointments Clause. The Court of Ap... More...   $0 (06-25-2018 - DC)

Without prior notice, the City of New Orleans demolished a building
along the IH-10 service road that plaintiffs had recently purchased at a tax
sale. Yet two days before the demolition, the City actually cancelled the Code
Enforcement lien on the property, which it obtained after sending notices only
to the owner from 18 years earlier. When the Garretts objected to the
demolit... More...   $0 (06-25-2018 - LA)

Bobby R. and Brenda J. Hargis petitioned the Tax Court1 for redetermination
of a tax deficiency. The Tax Court upheld the determination of the Commissioner of
1The Honorable Mary Ann Cohen, United States Tax Court Judge.
Internal Revenue. The Hargises appeal. Having jurisdiction under section
7482(a)(1),2 this court affirms.
I.
From 2007 to 2010, the Hargises bought and ope... More...   $0 (06-22-2018 - MO)

Espino worked as a tax preparer for a real estate broker in Spring Valley, California. One borrower, Sean Desmond, served as a police officer at the Chula Vista Police Department. In 2006 he attempted to buy a $1.6 million home. As a police officer, his salary was $90,000 at the time. To assist him with qualifying for this loan, he worked with a broker named Jesse Rodriguez to prepare the loan ... More...   $0 (06-22-2018 - CA)

Boston, MA - Real Estate Attorney Sentenced for Role in Sweeping Mortgage Fraud Conspiracy

A real estate attorney was sentenced today in connection with a sweeping conspiracy to defraud banks and mortgage companies by engaging in sham “short” sales of residential properties in Merrimack Valley.

Jasmin Polanco, 37, of Methuen, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Doug... More...   $0 (06-21-2018 - MA)

Miami, FL - Real Estate Investor Pleads Guilty to Rigging Bids at Online Foreclosure Auctions

First Guilty Plea Involving Foreclosure Auctions in Florida

Real estate investor Stuart Hankin pleaded guilt on June 20, 2018 for his role in a conspiracy to rig bids, in violation of antitrust law, at online public foreclosure auctions in Florida, the Department of Justice announced. H... More...   $0 (06-20-2018 - FL)

Jackson, MS - Sixth Mississippi Real Estate Investor Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Rig Bids at Public Foreclosure Auctions

Mississippi real estate investor Ivan Spinner became the sixth real estate investor to plead guilty in connection with the ongoing investigation into bid rigging at public real estate foreclosure auctions in Mississippi, the Department of Justice announced.

... More...   $0 (06-19-2018 - CA)

The jury convicted defendant Flora Espino of lying to a
grand jury in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1623. Espino appeals
and argues that the district court erred as a matter of law in
the language used in the verdict form and its subsequent
submission to the jury. Espino contends the district court
shifted the burden of proof, requiring the jury to find her not
guilty beyond a r... More...   $0 (06-19-2018 - CA)

Fresno, CA - Modesto Real Estate Attorney Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Fraudulent Short-Sale Scheme

Robert Farrace, 54, of Modesto, was sentenced on June 18, 2018 to two years in prison for a fraudulent short-sale scheme, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

On November 14, 2017, a jury found Farrace guilty of three counts of wire fraud in connection with the scheme... More...   $0 (06-18-2018 - CA)

In this case, we need to determine
whether an employee of the Internal Revenue Service ("IRS")
"willfully violate[d]" an order from the bankruptcy court
discharging the debts of debtor-taxpayer William C. Murphy, as
that term is used in 26 U.S.C. § 7433(e). After careful
consideration, we hold that an employee of the IRS "willfully
violates" a discharge order when the emplo... More...   $0 (06-07-2018 - ME)

Charlise Williams was charged in a
five‐count indictment for bankruptcy fraud. After a weeklong
jury trial, she was found guilty on all counts and sentenced
to a below‐Guidelines prison term of 46 months. On
appeal, Williams argues that the district court erred by: (1) restricting
her ability to cross‐examine witnesses in violation of
the Confrontation Cla... More...   $0 (06-06-2018 - IL)

San Francisco, CA - California Resident Convicted Of Tax Crimes

A jury in the Northern District of California convicted Jyh-Chau “Henry” Horng, of Saratoga, California and part owner of a home-based international trading business, yesterday on two counts of filing false tax returns and one count of making false statements to an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) agent while under audit, annou... More...   $0 (06-06-2018 - CA)

On the morning of August 16, 2011, Harrington placed a call to the Avon Lake
Police Department to notify them that her husband had committed suicide. Upon arriving at the
marital residence, officers found the victim lying on a couch with his head wrapped in plastic.
They also found a purported suicide note that was typewritten, but signed in ink with the victim’s
name. The c... More...   $0 (06-03-2018 - OH)

A good faith purchaser is “[a] purchaser who buys
without notice of circumstance which would put a person of
ordinary prudence on inquiry as to the title, or as to an
impediment on the title, of a seller.” (Black’s Law Dict. (6th ed.
1992) p. 693, col. 2.) The trial court found that respondent,
Steven Hall, was a good faith purchaser at a lien sale and
acquired the contents... More...   $0 (06-03-2018 - CA)