Howard R. Shmuckler of Virginia Beach, Va. has pled guilty to running a fraudulent loan modification business that received substantial fees but actually modified clients' mortgages in only a few cases. Christy Romero, Special Inspector General for the Office of the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (SIGTARP); Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; James W. McJunkin, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI's Washington Field Office; and Jon T.Click to continue

Raymond Gata of Chesapeake, Va. has pleaded guilty in Norfolk federal court to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with a fraudulent foreclosure rescue scheme. Gata faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison when he is sentenced June 11, 2012. Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and John Boles, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Division, made the announcement after Gata’s plea was accepted by U.S. District Senior Judge Robert G. Doumar. A federal grand jury previously indicted Gata on Jan. 19, 2012.Click to continue

Thomas E. Green of Ocean City, Md. has pled guilty to fraudulently securing nearly $2.2 million in loans to purchase five properties in Cape Charles, Va. Neil H. MacBride, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, made the announcement after the plea was accepted by U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson. Green pled guilty to conspiring to commit wire and bank fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison.Click to continue

Two Chesapeake, Va. residents, Philip Villasis  and Ray D. Gata, have been indicted by a Norfolk federal grand jury on nine charges including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and money laundering in a foreclosure rescue scheme. Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Dean Bryant, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) made the announcement after the indictment. If convicted, Villasis faces a maximum penalty 150 years’ imprisonment and Gata faces 90 years’ imprisonment.Click to continue

Lee Farkas of Ocala, Fla., former chairman and owner of Taylor Bean & Whitaker Mortgage Corporation (TBW) has been sentenced to 30 years in prison and ordered to forfeit approximately $38.5 million for his role in a $2.9 billion-plus fraud scheme that contributed to the failure of TBW and Colonial Bank. At one time, TBW was one of the largest privately-held mortgage lending institutions in the United States and Colonial Bank was one of the 25 largest banks in the United States.Click to continue

Shanita Lacy of Chesapeake, Va. has pleaded guilty in a Norfolk, Va. federal court to conspiring to commit mail and wire fraud in connection with a scheme to fraudulently obtain home mortgages. Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, made the announcement after Lacy’s plea was accepted by United States Senior District Judge Henry Coke Morgan Jr. Lacy faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of $1 million when she is sentenced on March 18, 2011.Click to continue

Alejandro Alquinta of Springfield, Va., has pled guilty to using his position as a loan officer to help carry out a multi-million dollar mortgage fraud scheme. Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and James W. McJunkin, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office, made the announcement after the plea was accepted by United States District Judge Liam O’Grady.Click to continue

Matthew A. Kim of Alexandria, Va., has pled guilty to engaging in mortgage fraud as a loan broker for two local mortgage companies. Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Shawn Henry, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office; and Daniel S. Cortez, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service, made the announcement after the plea was accepted by United States District Judge Gerald Bruce Lee.Click to continue

A former U.S. Army contracting official has been sentenced to 42 months in prison in connection with two schemes to solicit more than $30,000 in bribes and other payments from an Egyptian businessman in Kuwait, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Neil H. MacBride of the Eastern District of Virginia.Click to continue

Stephen M. Gunther of Hertford, N.C., was sentenced to 20 months in prison for defrauding commercial mortgage lenders. Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, made the announcement after sentencing by United States District Judge Raymond A. Jackson, who also ordered Gunther to pay restitution in the total amount of $231,018.45. Gunther pled guilty to wire fraud on March 25, 2010.Click to continue