R. Todd Bennett, P.C. Board Certified, Criminal Law. Texas Board of Legal Specialization.
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Houston Lawyer For Individuals And Organizations Accused Of Mortgage Fraud

Accusations of mortgage fraud are increasing due to fallout from the real estate market. As home foreclosures increase and real estate declines in value, prosecutors are becoming more aggressive in pursuing criminal charges. The consequences for the accused can be devastating.

People accused of mortgage fraud are usually working men and women who have never been in trouble before and who never expected to be charged with a crime. The accused tend to fall into two categories.

  • They may be inexperienced real estate investors who got into a business environment that they were unfamiliar with.
  • They may be professionals employed in the real estate business. These professionals include professional real estate investors, mortgage brokers, bank loan officers, title company employees, realtors, appraisers and homebuilders.

I’m R. Todd Bennett, a Houston criminal defense lawyer. If you have been charged with or are under investigation for mortgage fraud in the Houston area or anywhere in Texas, I am able to put my experience to work for you.

Charges, Defendants And Penalties

In federal court, there is not a specific mortgage fraud statute. Instead mortgage fraud cases are prosecuted through the use of the wire fraud, mail fraud or bank fraud statutes. For example, if a real estate buyer mails a loan application which contains material false statements to a bank loan officer, the criminal charge would be mail fraud.

The punishment ranges available to judges in mortgage fraud cases get very high very quick. This is because the federal sentencing guidelines look to the amount of loss or intended loss associated with the mortgage fraud scheme in determining the punishment range. Mortgage fraud cases tend to involve multiple pieces of real estate. Therefore, values and the associated losses can easily climb into the hundreds of thousands and even the millions of dollars.

The sale of real estate involves many people. Buyers, sellers, builders, real estate agents, real estate brokers, title company employees, real estate appraisers, mortgage brokers and bank lending officers all may have their hands in a particular real estate transaction. If any one of those people makes a false statement or commits a fraud it can have a domino effect, causing everyone in the transaction to become subject to government scrutiny in the context of a criminal investigation.

I defend people facing criminal charges related to mortgage fraud in Texas state court and federal court. As your lawyer, I will be at your side every step of the way to help you obtain the best possible outcome.

Arrange For Your Attorney Consultation

If you are under investigation for or are facing criminal charges related to mortgage fraud, reach out to me, Houston criminal defense lawyer R. Todd Bennett, by email or by phone at 713-489-7763 for an initial consultation about your case.

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