Witness: Foreclosure firm owner gave gifts for altering documents

[Dr.Phool]

Source: Tampa Bay Online, MSNBC


Witness: Foreclosure firm owner gave gifts for altering documents

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By Shannon Behnken
Tampa Bay Online Tampa Bay Online
updated 1 hour 23 minutes ago


TAMPA — Some employees of Florida's largest "foreclosure mill" were given jewelry, cars and houses from the firm, in exchange for altering and forging key documents used to obtain foreclosures, according to a statement released today by the Florida Attorney General's Office.

The office released transcripts of two interviews it conducted for its investigation into the law offices of David J. Stern. The sworn statements were from Kelly Scott, a former employee of Stern's and Mary R. Cordova, a former employee of G&Z, a process server used by Stern's office. The women's testimonies appear to back up that of former Stern's employee Tammie Lou Kapusta, whose statement was released last week. The three statements paint a picture of a secret system designed to speed up the foreclosure process. Attorneys and staff members forged signatures, changed dates, passed around notary stamps, the women say in interviews with attorney general's staff.

The two former Sterns employees described long tables where employees would sign as a witness and notarize documents without actually witnessing the signing. Twice a day, Scott said, the company's chief operating officer, Cheryl Samons, would go into the office and sign 500 documents at a time “ without reading them.

Scott was Samons' legal assistant.

As a perk of Samons' job, Stern's office would routinely pay her personal mortgage, a car payment, her electric bills and her cell phone bill, according to Scott, who told investigators Stern also bought Samons a new BMW sport utility vehicle every year and gave her and other employees jewelry. Additionally, Stern purchased employee David Vargas a house, a car and a cell phone, Scott claims in her statement.

(snip)more

Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39725688

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Fraudulent mortgages, fraudulent securities, fraudulent foreclosures.

Do you suppose there was any fraud involved somewhere?

[sakabatou]

1. This sounds like a possible lawsuit

[mbperrin]

2. Oh, there may be a "bad apple" or two in there, but it all sounds on the

up and up to me.

As in, all the way up ours.

[tridim]

3. One more primal scream this morning couldn't hurt.

Sorry neighbors.

I just decided this morning that I'm suing JP Morgan Chase, after they lied to me repeatedly on the phone about my mortgage.

[dixiegrrrrl]

8. DO keep us posted. Many of us are in the same postion you are in.

How are you going to find a good real estate or bankruptcy lawyer???That is a fact.

[dkf]

4. Did they declare taxes on those payments?

[Jackpine Radical]

6. Taxes

are for the Little People.

Which sounds like a good idea to me. Time for the elves, leprechauns & pixies to start contributing their share.

[aquart]

5. And the penalty will be.......?

[Dr.Phool]

7. Bonuses and more cars.

[sabrina 1]

9. When do the arrests begin?

[flvegan]

10. Whoa.

Still waiting on the criminal charges. Anyone?