Thursday, May 27, 2010

Woman Charged in Federal Court with Mail Fraud

BIRMINGHAM—A federal grand jury today indicted a Birmingham woman for mail fraud, U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance announced.

A one-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges CHARLENE ANDREWS, 36, with mail fraud in connection to her application for a mortgage loan to buy a house.

According to the indictment, the fraud occurred as follows: ANDREWS applied for a mortgage loan in March 2007, causing the application and supporting documents to be mailed to NorthStar Mortgage Company. In each of those documents, ANDREWS falsely claimed that she received monthly Social Security disability benefits. Had ANDREWS accurately reported her income, she would not have been eligible to receive the mortgage loan.

The indictment also seeks forfeiture of $69,500, the amount of the fraudulently obtained loan.

The maximum sentence for mail fraud is 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine.

Special agents of the FBI, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of the Inspector General, and the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, worked this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney is prosecuting it.

Members of the public are reminded that the indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove a defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

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