Five Indicted For Mortgage Fraud in Houston

Prosecutors in Houston have indicted five individuals for scheming to defraud residential lenders out of $17 million. According to Don DeGabrielle, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Texas, the indictment alleges that Anthony Wayne Hawkins, Brandon Alonzo Crenshaw, Nehemiah Jamal Douglas, Babette Jammer and David Vasser engaged in a mail and wire fraud conspiracy which resulted in the defendants and their co-conspirators fraudulently obtaining more than $17 million in loan proceeds. The defendants and their co-conspirators are accused of recruiting individuals to purchase residential properties with the intent to deceive mortgage lenders concerning the borrower's ability and incentive to repay the loans. According to the indictment, falsified documents were prepared and provided to the mortgage lenders to support loan applications.