In the following press release B. Todd Jones, United States Attorney for the District of Minnesota announced that a 36-year-old Park Rapids man was indicted last week in federal court in connection with a scheme to defraud a mortgage company out of money, as well as growing more than 100 marijuana plants. Eric Wayne Moen was charged Aug. 18 with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of money laundering and one count of manufacturing marijuana. He made his initial appearance Aug. 21.

Moen’s indictment alleges that from Aug. 1 through Nov. 28, 2005, he conspired with others to obtain the funds to purchase a single-family home by means of false and fraudulent pretenses. Specifically, Moen, a licensed real estate agent at the time, is alleged to have conspired to misrepresent the employment status of a borrower in connection with a mortgage. As part of the scheme, $641,840.63 was transferred on Nov. 28 via interstate wire from a mortgage company to a title company. Then, on Dec. 1, 2005, Moen allegedly deposited a $15,650.87 check into his personal account knowing that money was derived from the wire fraud. The residence allegedly purchased via the wire fraud was, the indictment states, subsequently used for a marijuana grow operation.
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Additional Materials

• Press Release
• Indictment

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Co-defendant Kevin Ray Winkelmann, 39, Shorewood, pleaded guilty in August 2008 to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud for his role in the mortgage fraud scheme [Click here for that Journal Entry]. The indictment also states that from in or about January 2006 through June 18, 2007, Moen knowingly manufactured 100 or more marijuana plants.

If convicted, Moen faces a potential maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on the money laundering count, 20 years on the conspiracy count and 40 years on the manufacturing count. All United States
sentences are determined by a federal district court judge.

This case is the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division and the United States Postal Inspection Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Genrich.

Update on Tuesday, October 6, 2009 at 1:26PM by The Editor - Ian Shuter - ACFE, DMS

Eric Wayne Moen has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He entered his plea in Minneapolis before United States District Court Judge Ann Montgomery. Moen was indicted on August 20, 2009.

In entering his plea, Moen admitted that between August 1, 2005, and November 28, 2005, he participated in a scheme to defraud GreenPoint Mortgage. To further that scheme, Moen, a licensed real estate agent at the time, conspired with Kevin Ray Winkelmann, 39, Shorewood, to falsify a mortgage loan application in an effort to secure a loan Winkelmann could use to purchase a house. Specifically, Moen and Winkelmann agreed in connection with the mortgage loan application to generate fraudulent employment verification for Winkelmann. Winkelmann, in fact, was not employed. Based on the fraudulent application, the mortgage company wired $641,840.63 to a title company as part of the real estate closing process.

Full press release