Middle District of Florida's Mortgage Fraud Surge |
The Mortgage Fraud Surge was launched in late January 2009 in response to the epidemic of mortgage fraud throughout Florida which began during Florida's real estate boom earlier this decade. To address this wide-scale problem, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Florida, along with the Federal Bureau of Investigation in both Tampa and Jacksonville Divisions, began a nine-month intensive effort to identify, investigate, and prosecute mortgage fraud in all of its forms.
To accomplish this Surge, the FBI and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Florida devoted significant additional personnel and resources to investigating and prosecuting mortgage fraud cases. All of the Assistant U.S. Attorneys in the Ft. Myers, Orlando, and Jacksonville offices responsible for criminal matters handled mortgage fraud investigations, and in the District's largest office, Tampa, over half of the Criminal Division Assistant U.S. Attorneys were assigned mortgage fraud matters. In addition, FBI Special Agent in Charge Steven E. Ibison of the Tampa Division and FBI Special Agent in Charge Jim Casey of the Jacksonville DIvision established mortgage fraud task forces in their respective jurisdictions. A number of state and federal law enforcement agencies joined these mortgage fraud task forces, and the agents, investigators, and other law enforcement personnel from these participating agencies conducted an intensive and wide-ranging investigation into hundreds of mortgage fraud leads during the Surge phase.
The Mortgage Fraud Surge resulted in charges against more than 100 defendants and involves allegations concerning more than $400 million in loans procured by fraud and more than 700 properties. Contact PIO Steve Cole for further information at 813-274-6136
More Information/Mortgage Fraud Surge Press Packet
- Mortgage Fraud Surge Press Release
- Results of Mortgage Fraud Surge
- What is Mortgage Fraud?
- Why the Mortgage Fraud Surge In The Middle District of Florida?
- Mortgage Fraud Index: By The Numbers
- "Collateral Damage" of Mortgage Fraud
- Mortgage Fraud Is Investigated By The FBI
- Avoid Becoming A Victim Of Mortgage Fraud
- The Many Faces of Mortgage Fraud
- Mortgage Fraud Charges in Ft. Myers: One Example: U.S. v. Eguez
- Mortgage Fraud Charges in Tampa: One Example: U.S. v. Porcelli
- Mortgage Fraud Charges in Orlando: One Example: U.S. v. Mark Moncher
- Mortgage Fraud Charges in Jacksonville:One Example: U.S. v. Gonzalez et al
- Mortgage Fraud Surge: A Team Effort
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