Mortgage Fraud: Sam Ames Sentenced In A Conspiracy to Commit Mortgage Fraud

<h2>Lansing Man Sentenced In Federal Mortgage Fraud Probe<&sol;h2>&NewLine;<p>Sam Ames Sent to Prison for Role in Mortgage Fraud Conspiracy<&sol;p>&NewLine;<div class&equals;"mh-content-ad"><script async src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;pagead2&period;googlesyndication&period;com&sol;pagead&sol;js&sol;adsbygoogle&period;js&quest;client&equals;ca-pub-9162800720558968"&NewLine; crossorigin&equals;"anonymous"><&sol;script>&NewLine;<ins class&equals;"adsbygoogle"&NewLine; style&equals;"display&colon;block&semi; text-align&colon;center&semi;"&NewLine; data-ad-layout&equals;"in-article"&NewLine; data-ad-format&equals;"fluid"&NewLine; data-ad-client&equals;"ca-pub-9162800720558968"&NewLine; data-ad-slot&equals;"1081854981"><&sol;ins>&NewLine;<script>&NewLine; &lpar;adsbygoogle &equals; window&period;adsbygoogle &vert;&vert; &lbrack;&rsqb;&rpar;&period;push&lpar;&lbrace;&rcub;&rpar;&semi;&NewLine;<&sol;script><&sol;div>&NewLine;<p><strong> GRAND RAPIDS&comma; MICHIGAN<&sol;strong> — U&period;S&period; Attorney Patrick Miles announced today that Sam Ames&comma; 33&comma; of Charlotte&comma; Michigan was sentenced to eight months in prison for his role in a conspiracy to commit mortgage fraud in connection with his dealings with CDC Investments and Hometown Financial&period; He was also ordered to pay a fine of &dollar;7&comma;500 and restitution in the amount of &dollar;285&comma;000 to the financial institutions defrauded&period; The sentence was imposed by Chief U&period;S&period; District Judge Robert J&period; Jonker&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>On March 15&comma; 2016&comma; Ames pled guilty to conspiring with others to commit bank fraud in connection with real estate in and around Lansing&comma; Michigan&comma; from in or about 2006 to 2007&period; The conspiracy&comma; which resulted in losses to <a class&equals;"wpil&lowbar;keyword&lowbar;link" href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;www&period;fraudswatch&period;com&sol;category&sol;mortgage&sol;amp&sol;" title&equals;"mortgage" data-wpil-keyword-link&equals;"linked" data-wpil-monitor-id&equals;"69">mortgage<&sol;a> lenders exceeding &dollar;550&comma;000&comma; enabled the perpetrators to use bank funds to enrich themselves as a result of sham real estate transactions&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Judge Jonker decided to sentence Ames below the recommended range of 30-37 months because he felt Ames had turned his life around since committing his crimes&period; But the Judge rebuffed a defense request for a probationary sentence&period; While the Judge declared himself persuaded that Ames was a different person than the one who defrauded banks and mortgage companies&comma; the Judge stated that it was important for the public to see that a prison term awaits anyone who engages in mortgage fraud as rampant as the Ames conspiracy was&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Ames’s prosecution is the result of a continuing investigation by the Mortgage Fraud Task Force&comma; comprised of federal investigators including the FBI&comma; U&period;S&period; Secret Service&comma; the U&period; S&period; Postal Inspection Service and the HUD Office of Inspector General&period; The task force also includes the Lansing Police Department&comma; investigators employed by the Michigan Attorney General’s Office and other state agencies&period; To date&comma; eighteen individuals have been convicted of mortgage fraud as part of this effort&comma; resulting in prison sentences for all the defendants and restitution orders exceeding &dollar;14&comma;000&comma;000&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>U&period;S&period; Attorney Miles praised the cooperation between federal&comma; state and local investigators participating in the Mortgage Fraud Task Force&period; The prosecution was handled by Assistant U&period;S&period; Attorney Timothy VerHey&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;www&period;justice&period;gov&sol;usao-wdmi&sol;pr&sol;2016&lowbar;0923&lowbar;Ames">Original PressReleases&&num;8230&semi;<&sol;a><&sol;p>&NewLine;

Financial FraudMortgage Fraud