Two men from Montreal were found guilty for their involvement in a vast network having committed mortgage fraud totaling 5 million on Friday at the Montreal courthouse. Six other co -accused have already pleaded guilty in this case.
What to know
- A criminal network has deframed five owners for 5 million by mortgaging their homes and land without their knowledge during the pandemic.
- Jean-Carlos Mejia and Sacha Anawati were part of this network of fraudsters. They were found guilty on Friday.
- Police brought charges against 18 people who would have participated in these frauds, and six of them have already recognized their guilt, including the employee of a bank.
Jean-Carlos Mejia, 32, and Sacha Anawati, 45, were both found guilty of “recycling of crime products” for their involvement in the network of fraudsters.
In this fraud stratagem, Jean-Carlos Mejia has whitened more than 1.5 million through two ecrans companies, including an alleged clothing business. These sums came from fraudulent mortgage loans obtained between April 2020 and October 2021.
“Mr. Mejia obviously knew that the sudden injection of funds into his business was the fruit of fraud,” wrote Judge Salvatore Mascia, from the Court of Quebec, in a long 66 -page decision.
The survey has shown that his business, JC intermediate clothing, had no commercial activity. The company’s bank account was inactive for almost 2021, before being closed.
Another red flag: 98 % of the company’s funds came, directly or indirectly, from fraudulent mortgage loans. In addition, 93 % of the sums collected were removed in cash.
“What are the chances that a company with no apparent history in the clothing and working funds suddenly acquires substantial funds? What are the chances that almost its newly acquired capital comes from six fraudulent mortgage loans? Asked the judge in his decision.
Mr. Mejia spent more than $ 37,000 in collection costs at Insta Checks/Money Mart to reach 1.2 million. These costs are much higher than those of banks for such a service, which suggests “a deliberate desire to avoid traditional banking control and conceal the origin of funds”, maintains the judgment.
There is only a necessary conclusion, it is guilt.
The JUGS Salvatore Mascia
The IP address of Sacha Anawati’s residence, for its part, was used to “initiate and receive a dozen bank transfers between false bank accounts and companies” in Mejia.
These transactions were carried out at times incompatible with typical legitimate activities, according to the judge, who sees it as proof that Anawati “actively controlled bank accounts and fraudulent fund movements”.
In addition, Anawati has “recruited and educated” a person who pretended to be one of the frauded owners, one of the stages of the network’s stratage complex. The man was also present and involved when opening fraudulent bank accounts and when signing mortgage action.
Not the first
Among the 18 people pinched by the Montreal City Police Service (SPVM) last year in this case, six have already pleaded guilty to accusations of fraud and recycling of crime products.
The criminal network of which Mejia and Anawati were defrauded by five owners for 5 million by mortgaging their homes and their land without their knowledge during the pandemic.
Two residences in Westmount and Montreal, as well as three vacant terrains in Île-des-Sœurs had been targeted. These five properties had the same particularity: they were free of mortgage.
The fraudulent stratagem has led to unfortunate consequences for private lenders and the five owners, some of which must always assume the debts contracted by the scammers.
The co -accused Ibtissame Amor, Afroditi Haleplioglu, 61, and Vivian Pham, 32, received sentences of 15 months’ imprisonment at home a few months ago, in this case.
The one who is suspected of being the network manager, Adnane El Fehdi, has not yet been tried.
Xu Yi Huang, 32, ex-manager of the cashiers of a Brossard bank, had pleaded guilty last year to accusations of fraud and recycling of crime products. On August 2, his lawyer called for home detention for her client, while the crown asked for two years’ imprisonment.
For Mejia and Anawati, judge Mascia ordered the postponement of the arguments on the sentence, after their lawyer had asked for time to read the judgment.
With information from Louis-Samuel Perron, The press
