Leslie W. Lickstein, 54, Fairfax, Virginia, was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison following his conviction in May 2007 of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Lickstein was also ordered to pay $1.1 million in restitution.
The charge against Lickstein, a former bankruptcy attorney, and the first President of the Northern Virginia Bankruptcy Bar Association, arose from his conduct in July 2002 as a settlement attorney in the sale of a property located in Great Falls, Virginia. According to court documents, Lickstein acknowledged that he prepared and filed a false settlement statement with Lehman Brothers Bank. As a result, the bank made a multi-million dollar home mortgage loan to a home buyer who was not creditworthy. When the mortgage went into default, the bank had to sell the property at a loss of approximately $1.1 million.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Thomas H. McQuillan and Special Assistant United States Attorney Dennis J. Early of the Office of the United States Trustee prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.
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.