Myrtle Beach Woman Pleads Guilty to Bank Fraud

COLUMBIA, SC—United States Attorney Bill Nettles stated today that Tiffany Travis, age 28, of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, pled guilty yesterday in federal court in Florence, to bank fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1344. United States District Judge Terry L. Wooten of Florence accepted the plea and will impose sentence after he has reviewed a presentence report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.

Evidence presented at the change of plea hearing established that Travis was employed at Ocean Front Real Estate in North Myrtle Beach, where she worked one day per week. Travis, Darin Epps (a mortgage broker for Dunes Mortgage), and other coconspirators caused false loan applications for three condominium units to be submitted in the name of Tiffany Travis, to JP Morgan Chase on July 9, 2007, for $619,500 and $100,000, to Country Wide Bank on July 26, 2007, for $650,000 and $100,000, and to National City Bank on July 31, 2007, for $132,700. Darin Epps pled guilty to these charges in April 2010.

Mr. Nettles stated the maximum penalty Travis can receive is a fine of $1,000,000.00 and/or imprisonment for 30 years, plus a special assessment of $100.00.

The case was investigated by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney William E. Day, II of the Florence office handled the case.