Tahmeane Elrod, 47, Tyler, Texas, has been sentenced to federal prison for a mortgage fraud scheme. Tahmeane Elrod pleaded guilty on November 4, 2009, to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison. Elrod was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $337,709.58.
According to information presented in court and as previously reported on Mortgage Fraud Blog, in September 2007, Elrod devised a scheme to defraud mortgage financing companies by submitting false documents in order to qualify for mortgages for the purchase of a residential property. Elrod falsely inflated levels of earned income and forged signatures on a Request for Verification of Employment form as part of a loan application package. A federal grand jury returned an indictment on May 6, 2009, charging Elrod with conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
U.S. Attorney John M. Bales made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank Coan.
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.