Skip to main content

New Jersey LO Gets Two Years in $40 Million-Plus Loan App Scheme

Jul 21, 2014

An Ocean County, N.J. man who allegedly used his position as a loan officer of Wells Fargo Home Mortgage to get the company to release more than $4.6 million in fraudulent mortgage loan applications was sentenced to 24 months in prison for his role in a $40.8 million mortgage fraud conspiracy, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced. Robert Serao of Bayville, N.J. previously pleaded guilty following his indictment to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He was the 10th defendant to plead guilty in the case. U.S. District Judge Joseph E. Irenas imposed the sentence today in Camden federal court. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: While working in various positions—including branch manager, sales manager and loan officer —within Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, a division of Wells Fargo Bank NA, Serao entered into a conspiracy to submit mortgage loans to his employer for financially unqualified “straw buyers” based upon false and fraudulent information contained in Uniform Residential Loan Applications, HUD-1 Forms, tax returns and other documents. Serao’s conspirators caused fraudulent mortgage loan applications and supporting documents to be submitted to Wells Fargo and numerous other mortgage lenders in various straw buyers’ names, attributing to them inflated income and assets in order to induce the mortgage lenders to approve the loans. Once the loans were approved and the mortgage lenders sent the loan proceeds in connection with the real estate closings on the properties, Serao’s conspirators took a portion of the proceeds from the fraudulent mortgage loans. Wells Fargo Home Mortgage released more than $4.6 million based on fraudulent mortgage loan applications. Serao profited from his role in the conspiracy by increased commissions on the mortgage funds. In addition to the prison term, Judge Irenas sentenced Serao to three years of supervised release and ordered him to pay restitution of $1,520,606. U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI’s Atlantic City Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Aaron T. Ford in Newark; and IRS B Criminal Investigation in Mays Landing, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Jonathan D. Larsen, with the investigation leading to the sentencing.
About the author
Published
Jul 21, 2014
James Brody, Esq. Now Owner Of New, National Compliance, Litigation Law Firm

JW Brody | Compliance & Litigation to serve IMBs, mortgage brokers, depositories, credit unions, and fintechs

May 19, 2025
DOJ Opens Criminal Investigation Into NY AG Letitia James Over Mortgage Fraud Claims

Investigation follows April referral by FHFA Director Bill Pulte; potential charges include wire, mail, and bank fraud

May 09, 2025
Federal Layoffs Help Drive Record 25% Surge In D.C. Housing Inventory

Cuts at mortgage, housing-related agencies help spur government employee exodus from the nation’s capital

May 07, 2025
Undocumented, But Not Unmortgageable

As immigration enforcement intensifies, lenders must decide if ITIN mortgages are too risky — or too valuable to ignore

Freddie Mac’s Net Income Up By $28M To $2.8B For Q1 2025

GSE sees chance to ‘strip away unnecessary bureaucracy and eliminate non-essential activities’ to drive tech investments, lower origination costs

May 01, 2025
What The CFPB’s 2025 Priorities Memo Means For Lenders

As mass layoffs at the agency are paused, law firm Garris Horn’s Senior Partner calls memo’s info, detail a ‘huge win’