Press Release
FEDERAL-STATE MORTGAGE FRAUD INITIATIVE DEFENDANT PLEADS GUILTY TO FRAUD SCHEME
December 17, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
R. Alexander Acosta, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Michael E. Yasofsky, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, and Al Lamberti, Broward County Sheriff, announced that defendant Felipe Nunez pled guilty on December 14, 2007 before United States District Court Judge William Zloch to one count of money laundering, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1956(a)(1)(A)(I). Sentencing is scheduled for February 29, 2008.
Nunez is one of fifteen defendants charged in a wide-ranging mortgage fraud scheme in United States v. Henry Quintero-Lopez et al. Case No 07-60207-CR-ZLOCH. This case was part of the September 27, 2007 Federal-Sate Mortgage Fraud Initiative announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. According to the Indictment in the case, defendants Henry Quintero-Lopez, Lazaro Villalba, and thirteen others orchestrated a scheme through which they located properties for sale in the Southwest Ranches area of Broward County, fraudulently purchased the properties through straw buyers and received cash back at the closings.
Felipe Nunez admitted in court today he was paid $20,000 to purchase two properties selected by Quintero-Lopez and Villalba. Nunez faces a statutory maximum sentence of twenty (20) years in prison on the money laundering count and a fine of up to at least $500,000 or the amount of money laundered whichever is greater.
Mr. Acosta commended the investigative efforts of the Internal Revenue Service, and Broward County Sheriff’’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas Lanigan.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
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