Phoenix Mortgage Fraud Defense Lawyer

Arizona’s housing market was hit especially hard in recent years. More than almost anywhere else in the country, housing values inflated to record highs and then crashed, leaving many homeowners in big financial trouble. Because of “soft markets” and the foreclosure crisis, Arizona’s mortgage and real estate industries gained nationwide media attention and, with it, attention from federal prosecutors.

The federal government is taking aggressive action against people who have allegedly been involved in mortgage fraud and other, related white collar crimes such as real estate fraud and mail and wire fraud. Prosecutors are aggressively going after brokers, lenders, investors and so-called “straw buyers.”

If you have been charged with one of these white collar crimes, you need a tough and well-respected trial lawyer with the experience necessary to effectively resolve complex federal charges. At Suzuki Law Offices, we have what it takes to achieve the best possible results.

Distinguished Federal Defense on Your Side

Our founding lawyer, Richard Suzuki, began his long and distinguished career as a prosecutor in the Office of the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, and then as an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Arizona. He is highly regarded by Arizona judges, prosecutors and criminal defense attorneys as a smart, ethical attorney with solid professional judgment. His reputation for excellence in complex criminal matters has helped him become one of the Phoenix area’s leading criminal defense attorneys.

Mortgage Fraud Offenses

Mortgage fraud occurs when individuals misrepresent, omit, or misstate information to a lender in order to obtain a mortgage loan that they would otherwise not qualify for.

Some examples of mortgage fraud charges can include:

• Air loans, which is a type of scam where a mortgage broken makes up a property and the person applying for the mortgage in order to profit from the loan.
• Inflated appraisals that are much higher than the market value in order to maximize profit when reselling property
• Straw buyers, which is when someone makes a purchase on behalf of another person
• Silent second schemes, where sellers use money from a second mortgage during a sale transaction without notifying the first mortgage lender
• Foreclosure rescue schemes, when a homeowner at risk of foreclosure turn to fraudulent investors to help save their home
• Illegal flipping schemes, such as fraudulently appraising a property and reselling it at a higher price
• Using falsified documents to apply for a loan

Phoenix criminal defense attorneys at our firm defend clients against mortgage fraud or real estate fraud charges such as predatory lending to victimize an individual or family or planning fraudulent schemes against a bank or other federally insured lending institution.

Defenses to Mortgage Fraud

In these serious matters, defendants can be held accountable for actual financial losses that resulted and intended losses, too. This economic impact can be life-changing, and there is much to lose. Suzuki Law Offices researches the facts behind these numbers and actively challenges valuations on which prosecutors base their case against you.

Some of the defenses that can be used against mortgage fraud include:

• The statement you made was not false. If we can prove that no false statement was made, then fraud cannot be proved.
• The statement was not knowingly false. If it was an honest mistake or you did not knowingly provide false information, then this can weaken the prosecutor’s case.

Each defense will vary depending on the specific circumstances of your case. Our defense attorneys are well-versed in state and federal defense methods that we can apply to help your case.

We Can Help Explain the Charges Against You

At Suzuki Law Offices, our Phoenix white collar crime lawyers do everything in our power to reduce the consequences of a fraud arrest. We work with you to help make sure that you get back home, spend time with your family and get the right treatment necessary so that you fully comply with court orders.