Fugitive Scammer Extradited

“Operation Who’s House” back in November of 2006 was an investigation by the U.S. Attorneys Office into an  elaborate mortgage fraud scheme involving at least 17 properties in Broward County, Florida. The scam reportedly resulted in mortgage lenders issuing more than $10,000,000 in fraudulent mortgage loans. 
As a result of using straw buyers,  public property records didn’t reflect true ownership. “Operation Who’s House” resulted in a 47 count indictment of 11 people. To date 9 have been convicted. The remaining two ran to Jamaica before being arrested. 
Earlier this year Delroy Patterson and  his wife Yvette Scott Patterson were arrested in Jamaica by a Fugitive Apprehension Team and held there while they fought extradition. On Monday July 14th Delroy Patterson , a U.S. citizen, was handed over to U.S. Marshalls at the Norman Manley International Airport in Jamaica and will face charges including mail wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and conspiracy to commit fraud among others.
 
Mrs. Patterson, a former Peoples National Party Councillor was the apparent mastermind of the scam. She allegedly used her mortgage business, Khadmilroy Inc. along with stolen identifications, fraudulent drivers licenses, social security numbers and straw purchasers to close the loans. Over the course of the scam Yvette Scott Patterson allegedly collected over $300,000 in mortgage related fees from the bogus loans. She is in custody in Jamaica fighting extradition.

If convicted, the mail fraud count carries a maximum sentence of 20 years while the other lesser counts carry 5 year sentences each……  OUCH!

The investigation and extradition efforts have been carried out jointly by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement,  the U.S. Secret Service, the U.S Postal Inspection Service and is being prosecuted by a team of  Assistant U.S Attorneys from the Ft. Lauderdale office.

Mortgage fraud is serious business. Lenders and law enforcement agencies today are pushing for indictments just like this whenever they discover fraud. Once upon a time the worst thing would be that the loan was denied and the deal was lost. That’s not the case these days.  Lenders will go to great lengths to uncover fraud and to prosecute the offenders. Just follow the case of Delroy and Yvette Patterson over the next few months at the U.S. Attorneys Office Southern District of Florida. It should be enough to keep anyone on the straight and narrow.