A federal grand jury here has indicted Branden D. Chatman, 32, of Columbus, Ohio, charging him with bank fraud and money laundering violations relative to a $1.5 million mortgage fraud scheme.
Carter M. Stewart, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio and Darryl Williams, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office, announced the indictment today.
According to the indictment, between May 2006 and January 2007 Chatman knowingly conspired with others to devise a scheme to defraud lending institutions of approximately $1,500,000 in loans.
The indictment alleges that Chatman recruited property purchasers and sellers in the Columbus, Ohio area. The indictment states Chatman referred clients to a mortgage broker at Sunrise Mortgage in Columbus, Ohio, and he also provided the mortgage broker with the purchaser’s employment and income information. In addition, the indictment states that Chatman owned Henderson Homes, a company that purported to do home repairs, and Chatman used this company name during property purchases.
Detailed news link: here