Twenty-Four Face Charges in Alleged San Diego-Based Fraud

Twenty-four individuals have been charged with allegedly using a corrupt enterprise to conduct a massive San Diego-based mortgage fraud scheme involving 220 properties with a total sales price of more than $100 million dollars. U.S. Attorney Karen P. Hewitt called this "the largest mortgage fraud case ever prosecuted in the history of the Southern District of California." The lead defendants charged with running the corrupt enterprise are Darnell Bell, Michael Ivy, Stanley Gentry and Billie Bishop. The indictment alleges that Bell, allegedly a member of the Lincoln Park street gang, led the enterprise and received at least $9 million in proceeds from the conspiracy. Mr. Ivy was allegedly responsible for negotiating the purchase of real estate. Mr. Gentry, a licensed real estate broker, is alleged to have allowed the enterprise to use his broker's license to facilitate the fraudulent purchase of property in exchange for a $10,000 monthly payment and a percentage of the real estate commission and broker's fees associated with each fraudulent purchase. Mr. Bishop was an escrow officer charged with allegedly facilitating the fraudulent purchase of more than 100 properties. In addition to charging the defendants with using multiple real estate businesses to facilitate the fraudulent purchase of real estate, the indictment also charges several real estate professionals with recruiting individuals to obtain fraudulent mortgage loans and purchase properties. Bell is already in federal custody serving a sentence for the distribution of cocaine. Besides the lead defendants, the other individuals arrested in the scheme are: Joseph Lewis, Nicoele Watson, Daniel Williams, Diana Jaime, Jorge Cortez, Lorena Callu, Desiree Holiday, David Lewis, Ray Logan, Stevie Frazier, Latashia McKinney, Marcus Dozzell, Esteban Valenzuela, Anton Ewing, Randolph Hirsch, Dennis Tapia, Dexter Holiday, Keith Holiday, Gerard Holiday and Jorge Magana. All of the defendants are being detained and could not be reached for comment.