Attorney General Bonta Announces Guilty Pleas in $6 Million Southern California Mortgage Relief Scheme | State of California – Department of Justice

SACRAMENTO – California Attorney General Rob Bonta today announced that the nine defendants involved in an advance fee mortgage relief scam in Southern California have pleaded guilty to multiple counts including theft from an elder, identity theft, and grand theft. The scheme, which the defendants claimed would prevent the foreclosure of properties, impacted multiple victims, resulted in a loss of approximately $6 million, and affected over 200 properties; including properties with loans insured by the Federal Housing Administration, as well as loan servicers Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. The final defendant pleaded guilty today. On May 24, 2021, the lead defendant in the case was sentenced to seven years and four months in state prison, after pleading guilty in Los Angeles County Superior Court to 16 felony counts. In addition to the lead defendant, four defendants have been sentenced, and four will be sentenced at a later date.

“It is…