Some older news we missed.

In the following April 28, 2008 press release MICHAEL J. GARCIA, the United States Attorney for theSouthern District of New York, announced today the unsealing ofcharges against GREGORY COOPER, a/k/a “Thornton Lockheed,” LAWRENCE BURKE, a/k/a “Clover Hill,” a/k/a “John Byron,” RICCARDO WHITE,a/k/a “Frank White,” a/k/a “Marc Allen,” and ZACHARY CUTLER, a/k/a“Josh Carter,” for their roles in conspiracies to commit mail andwire fraud by defrauding both homeowners in the New York metropolitan area and residential mortgage brokers across thecountry. All four defendants were arrested this morning and areexpected to be presented in White Plains federal court later today.

According to the Indictment, COOPER, BURKE, WHITE andCUTLER - operating mainly from an office in COOPER’s residence inCentral Valley, Orange County, New York - engaged in a scheme to defraud homeowners around the New York metropolitan area by misrepresenting the terms of mortgages. The defendants contacted homeowners and offered mortgages with low interest rates for as many as five years and attractive rate caps. The terms of the mortgages ultimately obtained by homeowners from the defendants were materially different from those the defendants had offered.The defendants also falsely represented that their company was associated with a well-known insurance company and/or a member of the Better Business Bureau.

According to the Indictment, COOPER, BURKE, WHITE andCUTLER also engaged in a scheme to defraud residential mortgage brokers throughout the country. The defendants sold to the brokers lists of names of individuals purportedly interested in obtaining mortgages, and promised to introduce the individuals to the brokers by letter or phone call. In actuality, the lists that they provided to the mortgage brokers were not lists of people interested in obtaining mortgages and the services the defendants promised to provide were not provided. The defendants also falsely represented that their company was associated with the well-known insurance company.

All four defendants were charged with two counts ofconspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud. If convicted, theyface on each count a maximum prison sentence of 20 years and amaximum fine of the greater of $250,000 or twice the gross gain orloss from the offense.

Mr. GARCIA praised the investigative work of the UnitedStates Postal Inspection Service and the Town of Woodbury (N.Y.)Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney NICHOLAS McQUAID is in charge of the prosecution.

The charges in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Update on Wednesday, October 28, 2009 at 10:47PM by The Editor - Ian Shuter - ACFE, DMS

PREET BHARARA, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and RONALD J. VERROCHIO, the Inspector-in-Charge of the New York Office of the United States Postal Inspection Service (“USPIS”), announced that a jury in White Plains federal court convicted GREGORY COOPER today of defrauding homeowners in Queens and the Bronx through a predatory mortgage scheme. The jury also convicted COOPER of carrying out a separate scheme in which he and his co-conspirators defrauded mortgage brokers around the country by selling them lists of purported “live leads” – homeowners who had supposedly expressed an interest in speaking with a local mortgage broker about refinancing their mortgages – which were, in fact, lists of individuals who had never expressed any such interest. The jury’s verdict followed a two-week trial before United States District Judge KENNETH M. KARAS in White Plains, New York.

Full press release