Mortgage Fraudster Jennifer McTigue Dodged The FBI For 18 Months Living A Normal Life Until Neighbors Ratted Her Out

Alleged Mortgage Fraudster, Jennifer McTigue got a surprise visit Saturday night and it wasn’t a candygram. The FBI, U.S. Marshals and the Honolulu Police converged on the Hawaii home where McTigue was staying. A federal judge issued a warrant for McTigue after she failed to appear for court nearly 18 months ago. 

Authorities indicted McTigue and two others in January 2014. Authorities also indicted them for operating a fraudulent $3 Million debt elimination scheme.

McTigue along with Marc Melton and Sakara Blackwell, a/k/a Dawn Sakaguchi operated a mortgage fraud scheme. The scheme involved filing fraudulent “satisfaction of mortgage” forms with the State of Hawaii Bureau of Conveyances.

Prosecutors allege lenders holding the debt never got paid when the defendants sold the properties. The debt elimination scheme resulted in the defrauding of mortgage lenders and innocent buyers. The buyers unwittingly bought properties subject to the fraudulently released mortgages.

The Indictment Against Alleged Mortgage Fraudster Jennifer McTigue

The Indictment describes transactions involving seven specific properties. Prosecutors allege that the trio fraudulently obtained the releases of over $4.5 million liens against those properties. The indictment alleges that the defendants then sold the properties for prices totaling over $3.3 million.

Authorities also charged the defendants with 27 counts of mail or wire fraud. The defendants are looking at a maximum penalties of 30 years imprisonment and a fines of $1,000,000.

Authorities charged the three defendants with seven, five, and four counts of money laundering. Prosecutors also accused the three of engaging in monetary transactions of a value greater than $10,000 in criminally derived property.   

Hawaiian officials also charged all three defendants with conspiring to commit mail and wire fraud. Federal authorities have also accused them of conspiring to launder funds derived from mail and wire fraud. The maximum penalties for the conspiracies are five years imprisonment and a fine of $250,000.

The indictment also seeks forfeiture of property derived from proceeds of the mail and wire fraud. Authorities are also seeking to take property involved in the money laundering offenses.

McTigue had been living her normal everyday life for the past 18 months until authorities knocked on her door. McTigue had even attended her Punahou class reunion just days before she missed court.  The FBI says she missed the meeting and turned off her phone.  

McTigue was taken to the Federal Detention Center where she will remain in federal custody until her trial later this month.  In Federal court yesterday, she asked a judge for another bond release so she can prepare her defense.  McTigue is representing herself in the mortgage fraud case. The judge denied that request.  

Read More About Mortgage Fraudsters On The MFI-Miami Blog