Michigan Mortgage Fraud Lawyers

Farmington Hills While-Collar Defense

If you are accused of mortgage fraud under Michigan law, you could be facing a 20-year felony. You want an experienced criminal defense attorney representing you throughout any mortgage fraud investigation or criminal proceedings. The attorneys at Jeffrey Buehner, PLLC have over 23 years of experience handling criminal investigations and defending clients at trial.

What is Mortgage Fraud?

There are various forms of mortgage fraud under Michigan’s residential mortgage fraud statute. A person that knowingly, with the intent to defraud, does any of the following, can be charged with mortgage fraud:

• Making a false statement or misrepresentation concerning a material fact or deliberately conceals or fails to disclose a material fact during the mortgage lending process.

• During the mortgage lending process, makes or uses a false pretense, or uses or facilitates the use of another person's false pretense, concerning the person's intent to perform a future event or to have a future event performed.

• Uses or facilitates the use of a false statement or misrepresentation made by another person concerning a material fact or deliberately uses or facilitates the use of another person's concealment or failure to disclose a material fact during the mortgage lending process.

• Receives or attempts to receive any proceeds or any other money in connection with the mortgage lending process that the person knows resulted from a violation of the mortgage fraud law.

• Files or causes to be filed with the register of deeds of any county of this state any document involved in the mortgage lending process that the person knows to contain a deliberate material misstatement, misrepresentation, or omission.

• Fails to disburse funds in accordance with the settlement or closing statement for the mortgage loan.

• Conspires to violate subdivision the mortgage fraud law.

• Solicits, encourages, or coerces another person to violate the mortgage fraud law.

Penalties for Mortgage Fraud

If the value of the property is less than $100,000, it is a felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $100,000. If the loan value stated on documents used in the mortgage lending process exceeded $100,000, it is a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $500,000.

Furthermore, property of any kind used or intended for use in the course of, derived from, or received in connections with mortgage fraud, is subject to forfeiture.

Michigan Mortgage Fraud Defense

If you are under investigation for mortgage fraud or have been charged with mortgage fraud, call Jeffrey Buehner, PLLC for a free consultation: (248) 865-9640.