The following five defendants were sentenced to prison for their involvement in a Broward, Florida, mortgage fraud scheme: Matthew Gulla, 35, Davie, Florida - 35 months, Rene Rodriguez, Jr., 37, Plantation, Florida - 43 months, Jacqueline Trumbore, 39, Margate, Florida - 3 years probation, John Velez, 37, Plantation, Florida - 42 months, and Joseph DeRosa, 35, Coral Springs, Florida - 37 months.

The defendants were sentenced by United States District Judge James I. Cohn at the Fort Lauderdale court house.

The Indictment charged the defendants with one count of conspiracy, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1349, eleven counts of mail fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1341, thirteen counts of wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343, and eight counts of making a false statement to a government agency, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1001. Two defendants are charged with obstructing justice, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1512.  Not all defendants were charged in all counts.

According to the Indictment, the defendants engaged in a scheme to enrich themselves by fraudulently causing real property in Broward and Palm Beach Counties, Florida, to be bought and sold by submitting, and causing to be submitted, false and fraudulent documents to mortgage lenders in order to obtain the loans.  The total dollar amount of the loans secured under the scheme was in excess of $16,000,000 dollars.

Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Addy Villanueva, Special Agent in Charge, Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), Henry Gutierrez, Postal Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), and Tom Grady, Commissioner, State of Florida's Office of Financial Regulation, announced the sentences.

Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the FDLE, USPIS, and the State of Florida's Office of Financial Regulation. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laurie E. Rucoba, Jeffrey Kay and Michael Patrick Sullivan.