Six defendants involved in the scheme, including three Westchester residents and a Long Island man, have been charged with participating in an alleged scheme to defraud Yonkers and New Rochelle homeowners, the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office announced Monday. He was arrested and arraigned in late June. , July 3.
The plan targets a home in Yonkers and two homes in New Rochelle worth $2.5 million that are facing bankruptcy or foreclosure, according to officials.
When the owners of two of the properties assigned the deeds to the defendants, they believed they would receive mortgage assistance. These homeowners face eviction or being evicted from their homes.
A third property, which has entered bankruptcy proceedings, was purchased through a short sale and the two defendants then allegedly moved into the property and used it as their primary residence, officials said.
After acquiring the properties, defendants allegedly falsified financial statements and filed false tax documents to obtain short-term “fix and flip” residential loans worth $1.5 million before defaulting on the mortgage. They also received a $500,000 COVID-19 relief small business loan.
The defendants, along with some of their alleged crimes, are listed as:
Licensed Realtor Marcia Campbell, 61, of New Rochelle, was charged with:
- Identifying financially distressed properties and promising mortgage assistance to homeowners to convince them to deed the property to Campal Corp., which she owns, to hide her identity in the transaction;
- Committed tax fraud between 2019 and 2022 with the intent to evade taxes for two other companies in her name, Extreme Realty Associates and Extreme Taxes Inc., and Campal Corp;
Licensed real estate salesman Fred Campbell, 64, of New Rochelle, was charged with the following counts:
- Acting as straw purchasers and loan guarantors for property purchases, as well as using legal entities in his name to use forged statements to prove liquidity with lenders, to conduct fraudulent transactions, and to commit tax fraud;
Anthony Chilliest, 53, a New York City resident and practicing attorney, was charged with the following counts:
- Falsely claiming to be the homeowner’s attorney;
- Providing false documents to title insurance companies and lenders to facilitate obtaining loans;
- Committed tax fraud with intent to evade tax between 2019 and 2022;
Gerald Smith, 48, of Elmsford, was charged with:
- Acting as a loan broker and communicating with lenders to further obtain loan proceeds and filling false entries in these loan applications;
- Commit tax fraud in 2020-2021.
Nassau County resident Wayne Green, 48, of Lynbrook, was charged with:
- Partnered with Marcia Campbell to buy a property and eventually secured a loan;
- Assistance in filing false documents with the Small Business Administration;
- Commit tax fraud in 2020-2021.
Bronx resident Frank Palmer, 66, was charged with:
- Acted as a straw buyer and falsely represented to homeowners and lenders that he was the sole owner of Campal Corp.;
- Filing false federal tax returns for Campal Corp. to obtain a $500,000 Economic Impact Disaster Loan from the Small Business Administration;
- 2022 Tax Fraud with Marcia Campbell.
Additionally, Campal Corp. is charged as a defendant in connection with:
- Acting as a straw buyer and being used as the buyer of record in a fraudulent real estate transaction, as well as applying for a loan with the Small Business Administration.
- Hide the identities of several of the defendants in these fraudulent transactions;
- Serving an eviction notice to a homeowner living at a property in New Rochelle;
- 2022 tax fraud.
All six defendants face multiple charges, including conspiracy, grand theft, criminal tax fraud and falsifying business records charges.
Marcia Campbell and Frank Campbell, Chilister, Smith and Palmer have been released on bail, officials said.
Westchester County District Attorney Miriam Rocah said such programs target the “most vulnerable” and could have “lasting housing and financial impacts on families.”
Any other victim of deed theft or fraud may file a complaint with the DA Office at 914-995-TIPS (8477).
Click here
Follow the Nassau Daily Voice and receive free news updates.
