Pamela Jones Johnson, 38, title agent, Parkland, Florida, and Elena Gunter Granderson, 43, title agent, Pembroke Pines, Florida, each were arrested on a charge of organized scheme to defraud. The two title agents are believed to be part of a six-member mortgage fraud ring suspected of duping several mortgage lenders and a homeowner out of nearly $2 million.

The arrests focused on real estate transactions on five properties located in Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and St. Lucie counties in Florida. On all of these properties, bogus mortgages were obtained using false HUD-1’s, sham appraisals, bogus second mortgages, false verifications of employment, earnest money that was never received and other fraudulent documents.

The charges stem from alleged mortgage fraud connected to two properties in Port Saint Lucie, one property in Tamarac, one property in Hialeah and one property in West Palm Beach. The scheme involved falsifying borrower qualifications and submitting fraudulent documents to mortgage lenders which reflected non-existent second mortgages. The scheme also caused a homeowner to lose their home after it was sold to a straw buyer in lieu of foreclosure and the homeowner was ultimately evicted.

“These kinds of schemes cause real economic harm to Floridians and our state’s economy,” said Florida's Chief Financial Officer, Alex Sink. “I commend the investigators for unraveling this scheme and working with the Office of Statewide Prosecution to get charges filed against these individuals.”

If convicted on the charge of organized scheme to defraud, Johnson and Granderson each could face up to 30 years in prison. Four other defendants are still being sought; one is believed to be in South Florida and three are being sought in the New York area.