Mortgage Fraud

Florida Mortgage Fraud Defense Lawyers

Fraud for Profit • Fraud for Property

In mortgage lending, the paperwork is intensive and the regulations complex. It is easy to run afoul of the law if any documentation is deemed false, misleading, or incomplete. Government and industry fraud investigators often draw the wrong conclusions when examining records, pressing criminal charges when there was no intent to defraud.

The Law Office of Mark L. Horwitz, a Professional Association, provides a swift, vigorous defense to borrowers, lenders, or their go-betweens. By intervening early at the audit stage, our number one goal is to prevent indictments. In the event charges are brought, we use every resource to keep our clients from going to prison. Our experienced criminal defense lawyers can capably challenge the government’s case at trial or negotiate with prosecutors to minimize the penalties. If you are being investigated or are already indicted, contact our Orlando office immediately. We represent clients throughout Florida and the United States.

Attorney Mark L. Horwitz is a board-certified criminal trial specialist by The Florida Bar with over 30 years of experience. His practice has defended all types of mortgage fraud, whether the allegation is fraud for profit or falsified loans to obtain housing (fraud for property). Common types of mortgage fraud include:

• False statements — obtaining a mortgage through misrepresentation of income, employment, residency or other loan documentation
• Property flipping — collusion with appraisers to buy property and turn around to sell it at a fraudulently inflated price so as to obtain excessive loans
• Occupancy fraud — False statements about primary residence to obtain a mortgage or to get better loan rates
• Non-disclosure — failure to disclose to a lender a second mortgage, or a "silent second" (third party providing the down payment)
• Signing blank loan applications
• Other fraud for profit, including foreclosure scams, equity skimming, or identity theft to obtain a mortgage

We handle both buyer fraud allegations and charges of industry insider fraud. We also defend against related charges of mail fraud or wire fraud, or obstruction of justice.

Our attorneys have succeeded in pre-empting criminal charges, avoiding the severe penalties of a conviction. We work with internal banking auditors or state and federal banking regulators to convince them that it was administrative oversight or an innocent mistake, and not intent to commit fraud for profit. For instance, when the markets are good, banks may make loans without completing due diligence, cutting corners to help buyers qualify or get better rates. Discrepancies in the paperwork only surface later if the mortgage goes into default, and regulators backtrack to scrutinize the loan. We work to show that documents, if not correct, were not the product of fraudulent intent.

We will represent buyers, sellers, real estate sales brokers, mortgage brokers, appraisers, bankers, or homebuilders accused of aiding or perpetrating mortgage fraud. When investigators come knocking, other parties in the transaction often point fingers about who provided false information and who knew of it.

Contact the Law Offices of Mark L. Horwitz, a Professional Association, today to protect your rights in responding to the allegations. Call 407.401.7224 or 866.784.0023 or contact us online to schedule a discreet consultation.