Revisiting the mortgage fraud case from yesterday and more rumors about the MDPD command staff...

We discussed a mortgage fraud story yesterday that didn't make any sense to either us or the poor guy that got arrested.  The story came to us in the form of an email and got our curiosity going so we went down to the Miami Dade County Criminal courthouse to see what was in the case file in order to get a better understanding of what the case was about.  Unfortunately after reading the arrest affidavit, we got more confused.  See for yourselves, as always, click on the image for a larger view...

Let's break it down...

On the above date, the victims advised that they attended a closing for the sale of their home located at 610 NW 184 Terr at HRH title service.  The victims stated that they contacted the Co-Def in regards to helping them sell their home.  At some point during the sales process, the Co-Def approached the Def and asked if the company he works at was interested in this mortgage transaction.  The def (stated during previous interview) that he could not get the loan approved by his lender so he referred the Co-Def to another Co-Def (mortgage broker) at Syracuse Capital Management.

Ok, the report identifies a Defendant (the man who's email we discussed yesterday) and then identifies two co defendants, one that could possibly be a realtor (who else would help the victims sell their home?) while the other co defendant is identified as being a "mortgage broker". 

The def stated at the previous interview that he was paid $1500.00 by the Co-Def (Syracuse Capital Management) for sending him this fraudulent mortgage transaction.  The interview was stopped and the Def was advised of his Miranda Rights at which time he decided he wanted an attorney. 

There's nothing wrong with a broker getting a commission for referring a loan, it happens all the time.  Why the hell would this trigger the Detective to Mirandize the poor guy?  Why the hell shouldn't he ask for an attorney at this point?!  Oh, I forgot how our favorite mortgage fraud detective responds to people "lawyering up"!

When the victims arrived at the closing on November 15, 2007, also present at the closing was the Def and the Co-Def's, they were presented with paperwork stating that the house was selling for $280,000.  Once the victim questioned the Co-Def in regards to the fraudulently inflated sales price of the home the Co-def stated not to worry because you are getting what you wanted for your house ($160,000). 

This is starting to sound a little hokey right around here.

After the paperwork was signed, the Co-Def instructed the Def and Co-Def to accompany the victim to his bank and to obtain two checks from the fraudulently obtained proceeds.  The Co-Def stated to the Def and Co-Def to make sure that one of the two checks that would be obtained from the victim could not be traced back to "PETER"  The Co-Def then asked who would be taking the second victim to the bank at which time another Co-Def stated that he would be.

Have you all started to cry yet?  Can you understand what the hell is going on here?  If we're reading right, we now have the Defendant, Co-Def who was helping the victims sell their home (perhaps a realtor?), a second co-def (who may have been previously referenced as the "mortgage broker"?), a third Co-Def who is simply referred to as "another Co-Def" and a fourth person simply referred to as "Peter".  Moving along... 

The victims advised that the Def & Co-Def's followed them to their respective banks in order to have them withdraw $50,265.84 that was obtained, via a wire transfer of $109,307.41, from HRH Title Service.  When the Def & Co-Def's arrived at the banks with the victims the funds were available and the victims withdrew the money.  One victim had it split into two different checks.  Both checks were made payable to the Co-Def on in the amount of $28,000 and other for $22,265.84.  Upon receiving the checks from the victim the Def & Co-Def left the bank. 

Ok,  so defendant so far has followed one of the two "victims" to a bank while a Co-Def picked up two checks totaling $50,265.84.

The second victim stated that she provided another Co-Def with one check from her bank for $50,265.84.  That Co-Def then left the bank.  The Co-Def deposited both checks he received into an account at another bank bearing his name.

The victim provides a check for $50,265.84 to ANOTHER Co-Def?!  HUH?!  Now I'm really confused, let's take a quick inventory of the people involved in this report.  Here we go:

1- Victim #1 who was selling their half of their marital home.
2- Victim #2 who was selling their half of their marital home.
3- Defendant, this is the man that was the subject of this arrest affidavit and who emailed us his story.
4- Co-Defendant #1 who was "helping the victims sell their home", perhaps a realtor.
5- Co-Defendant #2 who was identified as being a "mortgage broker"
6- Co-Defendant #3 he's not identified, we have no idea what his role was.
7- A man simply identified as "Peter".
8- Co-Defendant #4 the man who was given a check by the victims for $50,265.84.

One of these Co Defendants (not #8) received two checks totaling $50,265.84.  Ok, is that clear?  Does that make sense?

What in the fcuk is that ?!  Can anyone make any sense of that affidavit?!  We've identified at least six "defendants" in this report, we know one was the man who was the subject of the report, so accoring to that narrative there should be at least five other people labled as Co Defendants on the report right?  Let's take a look...

WHAT?!  Just one other Co Defendant?!  WTF is this $hit?!  Can any of our esteemed readers figure out what the hell is going on in this case?  Does it sound plausable that the "victims" just handed over $100,531.68 just for $hits and grins?  Even worse, from what we've been able to find, the only person arrested in this case was the poor guy who denied the loan and referred it to another mortgage company!

Hey pride and joy of the Mortgage Fraud Task Force, Detective Jorge Baluja, WHAT ABOUT ARRESTING THE BUYER WHO HAD TO BE IN ON THIS "FRAUD"!?  What about the mortgage broker?  How about arresting the guy who deposited the $100,531.68 from the "victims" in his bank account?!  What about investigating a possible link between the buyer and the seller?!  Or even better, if there was a realtor involved (or as you describe him in your report the man who was "helping the victims sell their home") wouldn't they have some explaining to do about why the sales price went from $160,000 to $280,000?  After all, the REALTORS SIGNATURE HAD TO HAVE BEEN ON THE CONTRACT!  WTF?!  

Can you believe this $hit?!  While the leaders of the Mortgage Fraud Task Force are giving their press conferences, holding their meetings and hyping their achievements, who the hell is watching what their underlings are doing?  In this case their detectives arrested a poor guy and permanently altered the course of his life with this arrest affidavit that doesn't even make sense!  How many times do you have to read this incoherent document before you realize that it's author must have been either drunk or stoned when they were writing it?!  Does it seem like the Detective investigating this transaction had any idea what he was doing?  Before we get all carried away and blow a gasket, let's not forget that the author was none other than Detective Jorge Baluja...

Enough of that for now.  Based on our blog comments from the last two days and some anonymous emails we've received, it seems like there is a major shake up going on in the command staff of the MDPD.  We learned last week that Major Bernie Gonzalez from the MDPD Training Bureau abruptly and unexpectedly retired.  The Herald broke the news about the Chief of the Centralized Services Division, Frank Vecin being demoted and our sources (unconfirmed as of yet) have told us that MDPD Chief Legal Counsel Glenn Theobald has also abruptly retired.  Now we're hearing rumors of Assistant Director Oscar Vigoa being shown the door as well and some no nonsense Feds from DC overseeing an investigation into how money in the MDPD has been spent over the last few years.  What's going on at the MDPD?  At the very least it looks like Director James Loftus is cleaning house and is wasting no time doing so.  We're waiting with bated breath for updates on the shake up at the PD and will update the blog accordingly.