In the following press release Michael J. Sullivan United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts announced that a North Andover woman was charged in U.S. District Court today with wire fraud in connection with a mortgage fraud scheme, bringing to12 the number of defendants charged in related cases.

United States Attorney Michael J. Sullivan; Randy Miskanic, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Warren T. Bamford, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation - Boston Field Division; Tyrone G. Barney, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation - Boston Field Office and Police Commissioner Edward Davis of the Boston Police Department, announced today that ELIZABETH SON, age 26, of 3 Walker Road, North Andover, Massachusetts was charged in an Information with 4 counts of Wire Fraud.

The Information filed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office alleges that in December of 2005, SON participated with others in a scheme to defraud mortgage lenders in connection with two properties in Dorchester, MA. The Information charges that as a result of the fraudulent scheme two out-of-state lenders each wired more than $500,000 to the account of a Boston attorney who was responsible for closing the loans. The same properties and mortgage loans were included among charges filed against 11 other defendants who are pending trial under an Indictment returned by the federal Grand Jury on May 15, 2008.

If convicted SON faces up to 20 years imprisonment, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, and a $ 250,000 fine on each of the 4 Wire Fraud counts.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service, with assistance from the Boston Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Victor A. Wild and Ryan M. DiSantis of Sullivan’s Economic Crimes Unit.

The details contained in the Information are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.