MORTGAGE BROKER AND STRAW PURCHASER CHARGED IN $2.8 MILLION MORTGAGE FRAUD SCHEME
Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Michael K. Fithen, Special Agent in Charge, United States Secret Service, Miami Field Office, and Tom Grady, Commissioner, State of Florida’s Office of Financial Regulation, announced today that defendants Jinnie Mathurin, 42, of Coral Springs, Florida, and Guhier Florvilus, 36, of Sunrise, Florida, were charged by Information in connection with their participation in a mortgage fraud scheme.
The defendants were charged with one count of wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343. If convicted, each defendant faces up to thirty years’ incarceration on the wire fraud charge.
According to the charging documents, defendant Jinnie Mathurin was a mortgage broker licensed by the State of Florida’s Office of Financial Regulation and defendant Guhier Florvilus was a straw buyer. These defendants and others engaged in a scheme to enrich themselves by fraudulently causing real property located in Broward County, Florida, to be bought and sold through straw buyers who obtained high value mortgages based upon fraudulent mortgage loan applications and closing statements. In addition, documents were submitted to the mortgage lenders reflecting significantly inflated values for the real properties. Both defendants also received wire transfers from the closing agency responsible for the property closings, with defendant Guhier Florvilus receiving a wire transfer of $382,101.00 for his participation in the scheme as a straw buyer. Based on the false documents submitted to the financial institutions, mortgage lenders issued approximately $2,835,000.00 in loans to the defendants and others. The case involving defendant Jinnie Mathurin has been assigned to U.S. District Court Judge Kenneth Marra in West Palm Beach, while the case involving defendant Guhier Florvilus was assigned to U.S. District Court Judge Daniel T.K Hurley, also in West Palm Beach.
Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the U.S. Secret Service and Florida’s Office of Financial Regulation. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Randy Katz.
An Information is only an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
