Bad credit? No problem.
A group of alleged scam artists have been charged with running a fraudulent credit repair business and then using their clients’ identities to get mortgages on millions of dollars worth of real estate in order to pocket the rental fees.
When the crew — which included a mortgage broker, a real estate agent and a notary — were indicted earlier this year, several flooded the court with nonsensical filings claiming they were sovereign citizens and that U.S. courts had no jurisdiction over them.
Followers of the sovereign citizens’ movement deny the legitimacy of the U.S. government and often refuse to pay taxes and gum up the legal system through endless and obstructive court filings.
Three of the alleged co-conspirators disappeared and went on the run for several months but were taken into custody last week on charges related to what federal prosecutors in Texas have described as a multi-layered mortgage, credit repair and government loan fraud scheme.
Heather Ann Campos and David Lewis Best, Jr., of Texas, were indicted in January, and had scheduled to turn themselves in to face charges but then went on the lam for months, prosecutors said. Stephen Laverne Crabtree, of Utah, was indicted later and then fled after posting bond.
Messages left with attorneys for Campos and Crabtree weren’t immediately returned. Best, Jr.’s attorney said: “It’s too early to jump to any conclusions in this case.”
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