Augut 25, 2009
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Eight indicted in mortgage scam
Charged with four counts of grand larceny in the second degree, one count of scheme to defraud in the first degree and one count of conspiracy in the fourth degree, all felonies, are Doreen Swenson, 60, of Tarrytown; Herbert “Phil” Hall, 60, of Tarrytown; Mildred Didio, 44, of Manhattan; David Reback, 67, of Rye Brook; Eileen Potash, 52, of Fresh Meadows; Frank Corgiliano, 44, of Newtown, CT; Amerigo DiPietro, 59, of Brewster; and Wilma Shkreli, also known as Wilma Gecay, 32, of Westwood, NJ.
Over a two year period, from December 2004 to January 2007, the eight people are alleged to have victimized for families in Croton-on-Hudson, Yorktown Heights, Cortlandt Manor and the City of Mount Vernon, along with two mortgage lenders. They induced desperate property owners fearing the threat of foreclosure to deed their homes to “investors” with the promise that they could re-purchase their property in 12 to 24 months.
But, it is alleged the eight defendants colluded to strip the property if its equity by obtaining inflated mortgages based on fictitious purchase prices using “show” checks to deceive banks as to the actual purchase price.
If convicted, the defendants face up to five to 15 years in state prison.
The investigation was conducted by the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office and the state Banking Department’s Criminal Investigations Bureau.
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