Fraud Friday — Six Months in Jail for “Extend and Pretend” Lending

June 12, 2016 By Bob Coleman Editor, Fraud Friday “This TARP bank officer engaged in an ‘extend-and pretend’ bank fraud scheme, extending what looked on the bank’s books as new loans for new purposes to new borrowers, when Harrison knew that the loan proceeds would be used to make other delinquent loans from other borrowers…

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Fraud Friday — SIGTARP Sends its 100th Banking/Borrower Criminal to Prison

June 5, 2015 By Bob Coleman Editor, Fraud Friday “100 defendants have gone to jail for crime related to the government’s response to the financial crisis known as TARP—the defendants’ crimes were serious and so were SIGTARP’s efforts to stop them,” says Christy Romero, Special Inspector General for TARP (SIGTARP). “100 times, SIGTARP held defendants…

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Fraud Friday — Pennant Management Closure Attributed to Nik Patel Fraud

May 29, 2015 By Bob Coleman Editor, Fraud Friday The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports more fallout from the Nik Patel, $180 million USDA B&I loan fraud. The investment company that purchased the loans from Nik Patel’s company, First Farmers Financial, and sold them primarily to Illinois municipalities as “safe” investments has padlocked its doors. The…

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Fraud Friday — Auction.com to Sell Nik Patel Hotel Properties

May 15, 2015 By Bob Coleman Editor, Fraud Friday Five Nik Patel hotel properties are being sold by auction.com in July. Nik was arrested last October on fraud charges involving $180 million of bogus USDA b&i loans — allegedly. The hotels are: · The DoubleTree by Hilton Orlando East, a 246-room full-service hotel located near…

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Fraud Friday — Fraud Charges Against More Wilmington Trust Officers

May 8, 2015 By Bob Coleman Editor, Fraud Friday Add the former Chief Credit Officer and Controller to the list of Wilmington Trust bank officers criminally charged in the Delaware bank’s failure. The feds allege that Kevyn Rakowski, and William North omitted approximately $351 million of matured loans 90 days or more past due from…

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Fraud Friday — Business US Acquires Small Biz Capital’s SBLC License

April 10, 2015 By Bob Coleman Editor, Fraud Friday The Receiver of Small Business Capital, the non-bank lender seized by the SEC almost three years ago, has entered into an agreement to sell the license and assets to Business US. Stephanie Bitters is the Managing Director of the SBA loan program for Business US. Norris…

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