Sam Hilany, 35, aka Nahum, West Hempstead, New Jersey, a mortgage fraudster on the run from authorities, was captured in Germany and extradicted back to Nassau County, New York.

Hilany was indicted by the District Attorney of Nassau County, New York in November 2004 on ten felony charges including Grand Larceny, Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument, Falsifying Business Records and Scheme to Defraud

Hilany is alleged to be the mastermind of a scheme that defrauded at least three lenders of approximately $3,136,800. Others involved were real estate investors, attorneys, title closers and appraisers. The scheme involved identity theft, paid ‘straw borrowers,’ falsified employment, income and asset information, and false property appraisals.

In one of the alleged frauds, they obtained a $324,000 mortgage on a burnt out shell of a building by erecting a street level facade. Hilany was both the seller and purchaser of most of the properties, in the name of shell corporations or stolen identities, and he received all the proceeds from those transactions. Hilany located the properties, did the contracts, arranged for the falsified appraisals and the title searches, and set up the closing dates.