Guyanese National Sentenced in Mortgage Fraud Scheme

Tampa, FL – Kenneth Blair (54, Clermont) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge John L. Badalamenti to 30 months in federal prison for bank fraud. Blair pleaded guilty on May 15, 2024. As part of his sentence, the court also entered an order of forfeiture in the amount of $15,475, the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.

According to court documents, from as early as August 2020, and continuing through July 2021, in the Middle District of Florida and elsewhere, Blair and others devised a scheme to defraud financial institutions by making materially false and fraudulent representations. Blair’s role in the bank fraud scheme included preparing and submitting fictitious and fraudulent paystubs for his clients in the names of companies to show fabricated income from employers as well as altered bank statements showing vastly overstated account balances. This caused the mortgage lenders to approve and fund mortgage loans for otherwise unqualified borrowers in exchange for undisclosed payments to Blair from his clients. The fraudulent mortgage loans were subsequently purchased and guaranteed by government-sponsored entities Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, as well as the Federal Housing Administration.

This case was investigated by the Federal Housing Finance Agency – Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development – Office of Inspector General. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Chris Poor. The forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Blain Goff.

On April 7, 2026, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.