Lawyers Defending Buyers in Florida Mortgage Fraud Cases
A friend or family member wishes to buy a home. Their credit is not perfect, so in today's housing market, the buyer finds himself shut out by mortgage lenders. Or, perhaps, the prospective buyer already owns a number of investment properties and they want to add another property to their holdings, but they don't qualify for a beneficial mortgage loan program.
In each of these cases, the buyer may have turned to a friend or family member to make the home purchase for them. They may have used the credit information and credit rating of that friend or family member. They may have provided the earnest money for the purchase, without that being disclosed on the loan documentation. They may have encouraged the person who signed their name on the loan documents (called a straw buyer because they are not the real buyer) to lie about their income and assets.
Each of these actions can be called bank fraud. When it is discovered, both the true buyer and the straw buyer can be held responsible for loan application fraud, as well as face conspiracy charges.
At the Law Offices of Mark L. Horwitz, PA, in Orlando, Florida, our criminal defense team represents buyers suspected of committing or conspiring with others to commit mortgage fraud. We defend buyers throughout central Florida, statewide, and nationwide.
If you have been questioned by the police or subpoenaed to appear at a grand jury proceeding, contact our law office immediately. Early representation is important to avoid statements that can lead to criminal charges. Defense attorney Mark L. Horwitz is a board-certified criminal trial specialist by the Florida Bar. He has more than 30 years of criminal law experience.
To obtain a conviction for straw buyer fraud, authorities must prove criminal intent. The issue your defense attorney will need to prove when preparing your defense is that you had no knowledge of illegal activity or no intent to take part in a conspiracy to commit bank fraud.
- Did you rely upon a real estate professional to handle your loan application correctly, only to find out later he or she was involved in illegal activity?
- Were you duped into filling out forms or making false statements?
- Did you mistakenly make a false statement?
- Did you suffer identity theft in which someone else used your credit to apply for a mortgage?
The consequences of a conviction in a straw buyer fraud case can be severe. Talk with our defense team. We will immediately begin to develop a defense strategy for your case. We offer an aggressive defense at trial or skilled negotiation to avoid the worst penalties.
Contact the Law Offices of Mark L. Horwitz, PA, at 407.401.7224 or call toll-free at 866.784.0023 to arrange a confidential consultation if you have been charged with intent to defraud.
