Carmen Johnson, Mortgage Fraud, Greenbelt MD, 2008

Greenbelt, MD – Carmen Johnson, a 48-year-old resident of Gambrills, Maryland, has been found guilty by a federal jury on charges including conspiracy, wire fraud, and making a false statement on a loan application. This conviction stems from two separate residential mortgage fraud schemes that operated between 2007 and 2008.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein and several law enforcement agencies were involved in the announcement of Johnson’s conviction. The evidence presented at her trial revealed that Johnson, through her companies CJ Lending and Able Estate & Company, orchestrated fraudulent loan applications by providing false credit histories to lenders. She also directed the use of stolen or falsified identity information and false documents to obtain mortgage loans.

The first scheme involved a conspiracy with real estate agent Edgar Tibakweitira from March 2007 to November 2008. The second scheme, which took place between April and July 2008, involved Nsane Phanuel Ligate, another real estate agent. Both schemes resulted in losses totaling over $2.3 million to financial institutions.

In addition to Johnson, several co-conspirators have faced justice for their roles in these fraud schemes. Edgar Tibakweitira and others were sentenced for their involvement in the first scheme, while Nsane Phanuel Ligate awaits sentencing along with his associates.

Johnson faces a maximum sentence of 90 years in prison if convicted on all counts, to be determined by U.S. District Judge George Jarrod Hazel on June 3, 2015. The case serves as a stark reminder of the potential consequences of financial fraud and the ongoing efforts of federal agencies to combat such crimes.