Thirteen Florida residents were charged with participating in a multi-million dollar mortgage investment scheme, the FBI-Miami announced today. The defendants were charged with conspiracy, mail fraud, wire fraud, making false statements to a government agency and obstructing justice. Not all defendants are charged in all counts. The thirteen charged are:
- Joseph Guaracino, 32, Plantation, Florida
- Steven Stoll, 43, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
- Stephen Orchard, 34, Boca Raton, Florida
- Matthew Gulla, 35, Davie, Florida
- Rene Rodriguez, Jr., 37, Plantation, Florida
- Dennis Guaracino, Jr., 34, Plantation, Florida
- Jacqueline Trumbore, 39, Margate, Florida
- John Velez, 37, Plantation, Florida
- Daryl Radziwon, 39, Plantation, Florida
- Casey Mittauer, 37, Cooper City, Florida
- Joseph DeRosa, 35, Coral Springs, Florida
- Robert DePriest, 41, Plantation, Florida
- Joseph LaGrasta, 31, Tamarac, Florida
According to the Indictment, the defendants engaged in a scheme to enrich themselves by fraudulently causing real property in Broward and Palm Beach Counties to be bought and sold by submitting false and fraudulent documents to mortgage lenders in order to obtain the loans. The title attorneys falsely represented to the mortgage lenders the source of the deposits/down payments and/or the cash from borrowers needed to close the transactions. The total dollar amount of the loans secured under the scheme was in excess of $16,000,000 dollars.
More specifically Joseph Guaracino would locate properties to be purchased and negotiated sale contracts along with co-defendants. In order to qualify for mortgage loans, Guaracino and others would supply false information to lenders, including forged lease agreements, false bank account balances, and inflated income or salary levels. Dennis Guaracino, Jr., Jacqueline Trumbore, John Velez, Daryl Radziwon, Casey Mittauer, Joseph DeRosa, Robert DePriest, and Joseph Lagrasta were investors in the fraudulent real estate investment scheme, who along with others, purchased the properties that Guaracino controlled.
Steven Stoll, a licensed mortgage broker and a licensed attorney, and Stephen Orchard, also a licensed attorney, participated in the scheme by handling the closings of the fraudulently procured loans, along with licensed mortgage brokers Matthew Gulla and Rene Rodriguez, Jr.
U.S. Attorney Wifredo Ferrer stated, “This indictment charges a group of individuals who conspired to enrich themselves by committing mortgage fraud. It includes a number of professionals who betrayed their profession for greed, and in the process, undermined the integrity of the mortgage marketplace on which we all rely. Our office is determined to continue to bring to justice those who engage in such pervasive criminal schemes.”
The conspiracy, mail fraud, wire fraud, and obstruction of justice counts each carry a maximum penalty of up to 20 years’ imprisonment. The false statement counts each carry a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment.
