Woman Sentenced to Prison for Lying to FBI and IRS in Connection with Mortgage Fraud Investigation

RALEIGH—United States Attorney Thomas G. Walker announced that in federal court on January 27, 2014, Chief United States District Judge James C. Dever, III sentenced Liliana Delia Deiac, 43, of Jamaica, New York, to 18 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. She pled guilty to making material false statements, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1001. Deiac was also ordered to make restitution in the amount of $674,856.94 to Wells Fargo Bank.

On May 18, 2010, Deiac was questioned by special agents with the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). At that time, IRS-CI and the FBI were investigating a fraudulent property flipping scheme committed by, among others, Arthur Barnes and David Johnson, who have already been sentenced to prison. Deiac was questioned because evidence showed that Deiac was involved in the purchase of a $2 million property at 1016 Clear Creek Farm Drive in Raleigh using her husband’s name and credit and without the husband’s knowledge or consent. Participants in the scheme failed to make mortgage payments on the property, resulting in foreclosure and losses to Wells Fargo Bank in the amount of $674,856.94.

When questioned by the FBI and IRS-CI, Deiac lied about the circumstances of her involvement in the transaction. Specifically, Deiac told special agents that when she executed loan and closing documents, she believed that she was leasing a building located in New York. In fact, Deiac was aware that the multi-million-dollar transaction at 1016 Clear Creek Farm Drive in Raleigh was a purchase using her husband’s name and credit. The investigation established that Deiac participated in the transaction based upon promises of cash kickbacks from others who orchestrated the deal.

“IRS-Criminal Investigation is committed to uncovering fraud and abuse in all facets of the housing market—a market upon which so many American families have pinned their hopes and their futures for so many years,” said Special Agent in Charge, Jeannine A. Hammett, Charlotte Field Office. “I want to assure the American public that IRS-CI will not rest until the tide of this criminal activity is turned.”

On August 6, 2013, Deiac pled guilty to count two of the indictment, which charged her with making material false statements, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1001.

Investigation of this case was conducted by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney William M. Gilmore represented the Government.