Abdallah Suleiman Kitwara, 44, Bowie, Maryland, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel to 15 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for conspiring to commit wire fraud arising from a residential mortgage fraud scheme wherein he used another individual’s identity, false income and credit information to induce a lender to provide a home mortgage loan.
Judge Hazel also ordered Kitwara to pay restitution of $290,954 and a fine of $50,000.
According to his plea agreement, from March 2007 to November 2008, Kitwara conspired with real estate agent Tibakweitira and others to unlawfully use the identity of another individual to buy residential property. For example, in May and June 2007, Kitwara used the stolen identity of another person, along with false income statements and credit information, to buy a residence in Washington, D.C. The conspirators inflated the sales price by creating false documents for repairs and renovations that were never made. After the settlement, the conspirators divided up the cash received for the purported repairs.
As a result of the conspiracy, Kitwara caused $290,954 in losses to the bank that was the lender for purchased property.
Edgar Tibakweitira, a/k/a Edgar Julian, Charles Edgar Tibakweitira, and Edgar Gaudious Tibakweitira, 46, Severn, Maryland previously pleaded guilty to the conspiracy and to aggravated identity theft. Tibakweitira has agreed to forfeit a Range Rover vehicle and awaits sentencing.
Five other conspirators from Maryland have also pleaded guilty to their roles in the scheme, including: Tibakweitira’s wife Flavia Makundi, 42, Severn; Raymond Abraham, 47, Silver Spring,; Ayoub Luziga, 36, Bowie; Cane Mwihava, 44, Bowie; and Mokorya Cosmas Wambura, 41, Takoma Park. Abraham was sentenced on October 27, 2014 to 33 months in prison, and Luziga was sentenced on November 24, 2014 to 21 months in prison. Abraham and Luziga were both ordered to pay restitution of $999,726.55. Wambura was sentenced to five years in prison and ordered to pay restitution of more than $400,000. Mwihava is scheduled to be sentenced on December 27, 2014 at 11:30 a.m.
A jury convicted Annika Boas, 37, Mount Rainier, Maryland on September 19, 2014, for conspiracy, wire fraud and making a false statement on a loan application, arising from the scheme. Boas is scheduled to be sentenced on January 7, 2015 at 9:00 a.m.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Cary A. Rubenstein of the Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General – Office of Investigations; Inspector General Laura Wertheimer of the Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of Inspector General; Special Agent in Charge Kathy Michalko of the United States Secret Service – Washington Field Office; John L. Phillips, Assistant Inspector General for Investigations, U.S. Department of the Treasury – Office of Inspector General; and Special Agent in Charge William Winter of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised HUD-OIG, FHFA-OIG, Treasury OIG, U.S. Secret Service and HSI Baltimore for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristi N. O’Malley and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin DiGregory, Investigative Counsel for the Federal Housing Finance Agency Inspector General, who prosecuted the case.
