Former Bank Employee Sentenced To Prison In Fraud Scheme

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge J. Frederick Motz sentenced Jill Dail, age 59, of Cambridge, Maryland, today to 16 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for bank fraud in connection with a scheme in which she and her brother, Jeffrey Scott Dail, fraudulently obtained mortgage loans in the names of family members, using the proceeds for their own benefit. Judge Motz sentenced Jeffrey Dail, age 49, also of Cambridge, today to a year and a day in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for his role in the scheme. Judge Motz ordered ordered Jeffrey Dail to pay restitution of $248,000. The amount of restitution for Jill Dail will be determined at a later date.

The sentences were announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein and Special Agent in Charge Stephen E. Vogt of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

According to her plea agreement, Jill Dail was a loan settlement processor in the mortgage department at a Salisbury, Maryland, bank until she was terminated in June 2007, as part of a reduction in the bank’s workforce. Shortly thereafter, Dail was privately hired by the manager of the bank’s mortgage department to continue to do the same loan processing work she had performed as an employee of the bank. The bank manager paid Dail out of his own funds and gave her full access to the bank premises, computer system and loan files. Dail continued to represent herself as a bank employee in her dealings with title companies and other businesses.

Jill Dail admits that beginning before January 2006 through at least August 2009, she and her brother, Jeffrey Dail, applied for mortgage loans in the names of family members and used the proceeds of the loans for their personal benefit. The Dails forged the signature of family members and bank officials on the loan applications, causing the bank to approve the applications and authorize the distribution of the loan proceeds at settlement. In each instance, the family members whose identities were used on the loan applications, and whose properties were used as collateral for the loans, had no knowledge of the applications or the loans.

Based on the assurances of Jill Dail, with whom the title company had a well-established business relationship, title company employees notarized the signatures of the family members on the settlement documents and disbursed the loan funds at settlement, as directed by Jill Dail, to herself, to Jeffrey Dail, or to their creditors. The balance of loan funds still unpaid is approximately $687,923.67.

The Maryland Mortgage Fraud Task Force was established to unify the agencies that regulate and investigate mortgage fraud and promote the early detection, identification, prevention and prosecution of mortgage fraud schemes. This case, as well as other cases brought by members of the Task Force, demonstrates the commitment of law enforcement agencies to protect consumers from fraud and promote the integrity of the credit markets. Information about mortgage fraud prosecutions is available www.justice.gov/usao/md/Mortgage Fraud/index.html.

Today’s announcement is part of efforts underway by President Obama’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force (FFETF) which was created in November 2009 to wage an aggressive, coordinated and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. With more than 20 federal agencies, 94 U.S. attorneys’ offices and state and local partners, it’s the broadest coalition of law enforcement, investigatory and regulatory agencies ever assembled to combat fraud. Since its formation, the task force has made great strides in facilitating increased investigation and prosecution of financial crimes; enhancing coordination and cooperation among federal, state and local authorities; addressing discrimination in the lending and financial markets and conducting outreach to the public, victims, financial institutions and other organizations. Over the past three fiscal years, the Justice Department has filed more than 10,000 financial fraud cases against nearly 15,000 defendants including more than 2,700 mortgage fraud defendants. For more information on the task force, visit www.stopfraud.gov.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the FBI for its work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorney Kathleen O. Gavin, who prosecuted the case.