Florida title lawyer sentenced to 46 months in jail

Peter N. Price of Hollywood, Fla. was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge James Cohn to 46 months in jail, to be followed by three years of supervised release. The Court also ordered Price to pay $1,712,766.92 in restitution to Stewart Title Guaranty Inc. Price was charged with making false statements to the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD), in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1001. According to the criminal information and statements made during plea hearing, Price, a title attorney, operated Intracostal Title Services Inc., a title company in Hollywood, Fla. According to statements made in court, Price embezzled more than $1,608,246.57 in loan proceeds from his escrow account on real estate closings he was handling on behalf of clients. This money was sent to Intracostal's escrow bank account by clients to pay off prior mortgage loans. Instead of using the money as directed, Price prepared and sent a false HUD-1 Real Estate Settlement Form, falsely reflecting the old loans had been paid. Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Henry Gutierrez, Postal Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, John V. Gillies, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Miami Field Office, and J. Thomas Cardwell, Commissioner, State of Florida Office of Financial Regulation, announced that defendant. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, FBI, and the State of Florida Office of Financial Regulation. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey H. Kay. For more information, visit www.usdoj.gov.