Dallas-Area Lawyer Pleads Guilty to Felony Offense of Covering up Bank Fraud

DALLAS—Jerry Goh, 50, a resident of Allen, Texas, appeared in federal court this morning before U.S. Magistrate Judge Irma C. Ramirez and pleaded guilty to a superseding information charging him with one count of misprision of a felony, stemming from his involvement in a loan fraud scheme in 2007. Goh, a lawyer with offices in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, faces a maximum statutory penalty of three years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine, and restitution. Sentencing is set for August 12, 2013. Today’s announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldaña of the Northern District of Texas.

Two defendants also charged in the case, Plano, Texas residents Vathany Theng and Lina Ma, have pleaded guilty to their roles in the fraud and are awaiting sentencing. According to documents filed in the case, Goh, acting in his capacity as the escrow officer on the loan, and thus with control of the loan proceeds, concealed from the lender, Prosper Bank, the fraudulent release of $498,720 of loan proceeds to provide funds for a $431,000 down payment. Goh wired $498,720 of lender Prosper Bank’s funds from an escrow account, knowing that these seller proceeds funds would later be used as the source of borrower Lina Ma’s down payment on her loan from Prosper Bank.

This case was prosecuted in connection with the President’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force. The task force was established to wage an aggressive, coordinated, and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. With more than 20 federal agencies, 94 U.S. Attorney’s Offices, and state and local partners, it is the broadest coalition of law enforcement, investigatory, and regulatory agencies ever assembled to combat fraud. Since its formation, the task force has made great strides in facilitating increased investigation and prosecution of financial crimes; enhancing coordination and cooperation among federal, state, and local authorities; addressing discrimination in the lending and financial markets and conducting outreach to the public, victims, financial institutions, and other organizations. Over the past three fiscal years, the Justice Department has filed nearly 10,000 financial fraud cases against nearly 15,000 defendants, including more than 2,900 mortgage fraud defendants. For more information on the task force, please visit www.stopfraud.gov.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Small Business Administration-Office of the Inspector General and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney David L. Jarvis is in charge of the prosecution.