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Chicago Mortgage Fraud Arrests involve Alleged Gang Members

Wednesday, November 15 2006 04:45

Terry Faulkner, 41, Tinley Park, Illinois, an alleged member of the Gangster Disciples, and Rodrigo Navascues, a mortgage broker with Hammer Financial, Chicago, Illinois were charged with one count of being the organizer of a continuing financial crime enterprise. According to media reports, Faulkner's home was searched by police and numerous items were removed including five cars (one of which was reportedly a Bently) and investigators also searched URB Inc., a Lincolnwood-based real estate buyer. A search warrant application claimed that the owners of URB, although not charged, were involved in the scheme, providing cheaply bought houses to Faulkner, who sold them at inflated prices to victims, according to media reports.

According to media reports, the search warrants allege a scheme whereby Faulkner would locate an unsophisticated buyer for one of the properties, promising the person could be a real estate investors with no money down. The properties were originally acquired by URB or XEZ Inc, both of which are reportedly run by Brian Urbanowski. Faulkner would take the buyer to Navascues who would obtain a mortgage based on misrepresented information concerning the person's financial situation and an inflated appraisal for the property (the appraisers office was also searched but no charges have been filed, according to media reports).

14 comments

  • Comment Link Tina Friday, April 13 2012 22:50 posted by Tina

    Yes I was a victim of the URB scam in 05 I have file a compliant with the Attorney General Office... it is 2012 still nothing please if you have any info please email me and let me know...Thank you

  • Comment Link John Thursday, January 12 2012 07:08 posted by John

    In any business there is always the risk of losing money, especially if you don't know what you are doing. URBs business is promoting cheap properties and finding investors who are willing to rehab them. They do this by allowing you to "lease" a property for a fee ($5000 for example) for a period of a few months. That gives you the time and possibility to rehab the property and sell for a profit. Its in their business to sell as many properties as possible. Its in your business to know what you are doing and do your homework as far as rehabbing, construction, permits, inspectors, tenants, buyers, current market, neighborhood, etc., not to mention have extra funds available to prolong the lease perdiod in case you don't close the deal in the time provided. Just because a company advertises something as easy, fast money doesn't mean thats how it is. How many get rich quick advertisements do you see on tv?? Think about it.

    URB does offer a money making opportunity for people, but not everyone will make money on it. There is no guarantee in business.
    Fact is way of advertising and people targeted are ones who do not have a business, probably don't have too much money and no business plan.
    People see an advertisement and take it literally thinking I'll be rich in a few months....

    Well what happens when ideas, thinking and efforts are not backed up by action and results...

    HAVE TO BLAME SOMEONE FOR IT..... WHY NOT URBs, RIGHT.

  • Comment Link John Thursday, January 12 2012 07:08 posted by John

    In any business there is always the risk of losing money, especially if you don't know what you are doing. URBs business is promoting cheap properties and finding investors who are willing to rehab them. They do this by allowing you to "lease" a property for a fee ($5000 for example) for a period of a few months. That gives you the time and possibility to rehab the property and sell for a profit. Its in their business to sell as many properties as possible. Its in your business to know what you are doing and do your homework as far as rehabbing, construction, permits, inspectors, tenants, buyers, current market, neighborhood, etc., not to mention have extra funds available to prolong the lease perdiod in case you don't close the deal in the time provided. Just because a company advertises something as easy, fast money doesn't mean thats how it is. How many get rich quick advertisements do you see on tv?? Think about it.

    URB does offer a money making opportunity for people, but not everyone will make money on it. There is no guarantee in business.
    Fact is way of advertising and people targeted are ones who do not have a business, probably don't have too much money and no business plan.
    People see an advertisement and take it literally thinking I'll be rich in a few months....

    Well what happens when ideas, thinking and efforts are not backed up by action and results...

    HAVE TO BLAME SOMEONE FOR IT..... WHY NOT URBs, RIGHT.

  • Comment Link SD Monday, May 09 2011 12:41 posted by SD

    Hi if anyone has any information on how we can sue or join a lawsuit against these people please click my name and email me. Thank You

  • Comment Link Jeff Thursday, November 04 2010 12:46 posted by Jeff

    Good Morning! Gangster Disciples Mortgage, how may I help you today?

    Hammer Financial?!?

    Really?!?!

  • Comment Link TRL Thursday, August 05 2010 14:27 posted by TRL

    This is an interesting article. I bought a property from URB and got to know both Brian and Steve. At the time, they used a broker on the South Side to refinance 70% of the inflated value properties 3 months after purchase. URB would then sell the second liens on the secondary market. I never knew how he did it because no one else could--but after becoming a mortgage lender in CA, I imagine he falsified dates on contracts or something. That broker charged me $8,000 on a $40K loan. How many points is that? 20. He was investigated and run out of business. What's funny is that Joe Hammer later became my broker and refinanced properties for me many times. Joe would finance through his bank and sell it to various other servicers. I would sometimes get 2 bills for the same property in the same month. Figuring out which to pay was a problem and they often didn't forward payments to the new servicers if I'd already paid the old one. Otherwise, Joe was always pretty fair.

    The Urbanoskis on the other hand sold me a building with a busted radiator they were secretly going over and keeping running until the refinance went through. As soon as it refied, I found out it was busted. It went out on me in the middle of Jan while it was 20 below. The city threatened to fine me $1,000/day until it was fixed. I had to refinance my own house to replace the boiler. They are true con men. And they do not care about the people they take advantage of. I will happily participate in any class action against URB.

  • Comment Link Steven Rabin Saturday, May 01 2010 18:02 posted by Steven Rabin

    Did you ever here anything more on this case? Hammer Financial failed to be in court on Jan/2010 and owner went missing. If you hear anymore on this let me know. I interviewed you on my Radio Show 3 years ago "Profit on the House"

  • Comment Link LW Sunday, April 06 2008 09:32 posted by LW

    I have a brother bought two properties.He did everything correctly . He listened to everything they said. Both were resold by them for more months later, after they would not close with him. They could not produce title and had liens they could and would not cure.
    URB Inc. lied right to his face. The woman who says she is the office manager screamed at him, lied to him on the phone on tape about curing the liens ! . Avoid them like the plague !!
    Thousands of properties, no !, thousands of wronged people yes !

    Send me $5000 it'll save you headache and despair .
    We do have now nine people for a class - action suit,revenge is sweet! !


    lwebster3@gmx.com

    Law Offices of //

  • Comment Link ex-employee Thursday, August 30 2007 13:32 posted by ex-employee

    I worked for URB a couple of years ago and left because I had morals and ethics, they are scammers and dont care about their customers, and they treat their employees with such disrespect, they ALTER documents and work as a team, they should definately investigate them, I left knowing that one day I would hear something like this!

  • Comment Link LARRY Friday, August 24 2007 20:07 posted by LARRY

    You have to understand that in the 21 yrs they have been in business - they have sold thousands of homes and most of them are rehabbed today! but there are a hand full that never made it there... as in any business it can be a number of reasons bad purchase price -picked up by a "rehabber-inverstor" who also either knew or didnt know how to make this business venture work. Unfornuratly ignorant uneducated people are everywhere and in business its a disasterous combo... and at URB this happens to be 80& or their customers! I know trust me-

    Larry

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Rachel Dollar Rachel Dollar, the editor of Mortgage Fraud Blog is an attorney and Certified Mortgage Banker who handles litigation for lending institutions and secondary market investors.
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