Press Release
ADDITIONAL DEFENDANTS PLEAD GUILTY IN “OPERATION FASTBUCK” MORTGAGE FRAUD SCHEME
February 11, 2008
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 Division, and Al Lamberti, Broward County Sheriff, announced that additional defendants have recently pled guilty to charges resulting from Operation Fastbuck. Among those recently pleading guilty before U.S. District Judge William Zloch in Fort Lauderdale are Maykel Clavero-Gonzalez, 30, of Miami, who pled guilty on January 7, 2008; Luc Bruna, 53, Fort Lauderdale, who pled guilty on January 10, 2008; Ruben Jimenez, 40, of Miami, who pled guilty on January 11,2008; Iliana Lima, 36, of Port St. Lucie, who pled guilty on January 11, 2008; Antonio Ramos, 26, of Miami, who pled guilty on February 5, 2008; and Michele Volcy, 47, of Fort Lauderdale, who pled guilty on February 8, 2008, and Joaquin M. Perea, 63, of Miami, who pled guilty today.
Defendants Clavero-Gonzalez, Lima, Bruna and Volcy each pled guilty to one count of substantive money laundering. Defendants Jimenez and Ramos each pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Defendant Perea pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank, mail and wire fraud.
The defendants and their co-conspirators orchestrated a scheme through which they located properties for sale in the Southwest Ranches area of Broward County, fraudulently purchased the properties using straw buyers, and then received cash back at the closings. To execute the scheme, the defendants and co-defendants would pay the owner’s full asking price and then inflate the contract purchase price to allow their companies, New World International and D& H Investments of South Florida, to receive a finder’s fee, assignment fee and/or additional funds to allegedly construct improvements to the properties, creating “instant equity.” In addition, the defendants and co-defendants recruited individuals who were paid to act as straw buyers of the properties. Thereafter, they would obtain false pay stubs, IRS form W-2s, verification of employment and verification of deposit forms. These documents would be submitted to cooperating mortgage brokers.
Sentencings for the defendants who have pled guilty and trial for the remaining defendants are scheduled for March and April 2008 before U.S. District Court Judge William J. Zloch.
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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