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Sacramento Area Mortgage Fraud Investigations
With the financial crisis underway, Sacramento has become a hotbed for mortgage fraud investigations. Our local United States Attorney's Office is actively investigating mortage fraud. The U.S. Justice Department has formed more than 40 mortgage-fraud task forces nationwide as prosecutors and investigators struggle with a flood of mortgage-related cases. The FBI reports that its mortgage-fraud caseload has more than doubled in three years to about 1,600 investigations. About 200 FBI agents are assigned to the cases, up from 120 a year ago. The cases are also investigated by Treasury Department agents and California Department of Real Estate investigators. Click here to view the United States Department of Justice press release concerning these investigations.
The cases are charged as conspiracies under 18 U.S.C. 371, alleging bank fraud, wire fraud, mail fraud, and money laundering. The cases are complex and document intensive. It is essential to retain a qualified federal defense attorney if contacted by law enforcement, or if there is any concern that an investigation is under way. Please contact me if you have any concerns about a possible investigation, or if you have been contacted by law enforcement. Keep in mind that many persons considered "witnesses" potentially face exposure to criminal prosecution, so retaining counsel is of utmost importance.