BOSTON – March 15, 2013 – (RealEstateRama) — A Randolph woman was sentenced late yesterday for using a stolen identity to sign fraudulent mortgage loan documents.
Allison Gates was sentenced by U.S. District Judge George A. O’Toole to six months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release and ordered to pay $1.2 million in restitution to the mortgage lenders. In July 2012, Gates pleaded guilty to seven counts of wire fraud and four counts of identity fraud.
Gates was solicited by co-defendant Peterson Cherimond to pose as the buyer for the purchase of four residential properties in Halifax, Brockton, and Worcester. Gates was paid approximately $12,000 to use a stolen identification to execute mortgage loan closing papers for each of the properties.
In July 2012, Cherimond pleaded guilty to nine counts of wire fraud and three counts of money laundering, and pleaded guilty to four additional counts of wire fraud, seven counts of identity fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft in October 2012. Sentencing is scheduled for April 11, 2013.
In February 2013, co-defendant Judy Bonas was also sentenced to six months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $936,000 in restitution. In April 2012, Bonas pleaded guilty to six counts of wire fraud and three counts of identity fraud for playing a similar role in the fraud scheme.
United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz, Kevin Niland, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and William Offord, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston, made the announcement today. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Victor A. Wild of Ortiz’s Economic Crimes Unit and Brian Pérez-Daple of Ortiz’s Civil Division.
