Sign in Subscribe
Banks (Finance)

Mortgage Loan Officer Charged with Bank Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Roger B. Handberg, the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Florida, announced the unsealing of an indictment charging Omayra Ujaque with three counts of bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. Ujaque, a licensed mortgage loan officer, allegedly created and executed a mortgage fraud scheme targeting her employer, falsifying borrowers' income by fabricating or inflating monthly child support payments on mortgage loan applications. She also created fictitious court documents and forged judges' signatures to support the false income claims. The financial institution approved and funded the mortgage loans based on Ujaque's misrepresentations, resulting in significant financial losses.

Key Takeaways:

  • Omayra Ujaque, a 52-year-old mortgage loan officer from Saint Cloud, Florida, was charged with three counts of bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.
  • The indictment alleges that Ujaque created a mortgage fraud scheme targeting her employer, falsifying borrowers' income by fabricating or inflating monthly child support payments on mortgage loan applications.
  • Ujaque allegedly created fictitious court documents, including Final Judgments of Dissolution of Marriage and Final Orders Modifying Child Support, and forged judges' signatures to support the false income claims.
  • The financial institution approved and funded the mortgage loans based on Ujaque's misrepresentations, resulting in significant financial losses.
  • The investigation was conducted by the Federal Housing Finance Agency - Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development - Office of Inspector General, and the Florida Office of Financial Regulation.
  • The case will be prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Chris Poor.

Statistics:

  • Ujaque faces up to 30 years in federal prison on each bank fraud count and a mandatory consecutive 2 years' imprisonment for the aggravated identity theft count.
  • The monetary losses resulting from Ujaque's scheme are significant, although the exact amount is not specified in the indictment.
  • The indictment alleges that Ujaque created and executed the mortgage fraud scheme over an unspecified period.
  • The investigation involved multiple agencies, including the Federal Housing Finance Agency - Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development - Office of Inspector General, and the Florida Office of Financial Regulation.

Sources:

  • "Osceloa County Mortgage Loan Officer Charged with Bank Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft" by The United States Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Florida (February 28, 2023)

Read more