Three Charged in Conspiracy to Commit Mortgage Fraud

Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, today announced the filing of an indictment charging John D. Chime, II, age 47, of Norwalk, Ohio, Jerry L. Stackhouse, age 65, of Willard, Ohio, and Rogelio Alonso, Jr., age 33, of Lexington, Ohio, with conspiracy to commit mortgage fraud in 2006.

Chime and Stackhouse are also charged with committing mail fraud, wire fraud, and bank fraud.

The defendants falsified documents, for the purpose of obtaining mortgage loans, submitted to potential mortgage lenders, according to the indictment.

Lenders have suffered losses in excess of $1.2 million as a result of the mortgage fraud committed by the conspiracy, according to the indictment.

If convicted, the defendants’ sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to each case, including the defendants’ prior criminal record, if any, the defendants’ role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.

The investigating agency in this case is the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Sandusky, Ohio. The case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas A. Karol.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Defendants are entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.