Christopher Wayne White, Fraud, Florida 2015

A Fort Lauderdale real estate broker has pleaded guilty to three cases of over $5 million in fraud, federal officials announced.

Christopher Wayne White, 44, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, pleaded guilty in three separate fraud cases before U.S. District Judge William P. Dimitrouleas.

White is scheduled to be sentenced on January 21, 2015, at 1:30 p.m.

In Case No. 14-60216-CR-Dimitrouleas, White pleaded guilty to three counts of making material false statements to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1001(a)(3). He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000 for each count.

In Case No. 14-60282-CR-Martinez, White pleaded guilty to six counts of wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343. According to the Information and documents filed with the court, White was a licensed real estate broker and owner and operator of the Christopher White Group in Fort Lauderdale. He obtained real estate deposits totaling approximately $595,000 via wire transfers involving properties in Broward County from individuals and refused to return the escrow deposits.

In Case No. 14-60283-CR-Moreno, White pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343. According to the Information and documents filed with the court, White made numerous false statements to the mortgage lender in connection with the purchase a luxury home at 2708 Sea Island Drive in Fort Lauderdale. According to court records, White inflated his bank account balances, income, deposit and assets to fraudulently induce the mortgage lender to issue a mortgage loan in excess of $4.9 million dollars.

Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the FBI, ICE-HSI, Florida’s Office of Regulation, and the Broward Sheriff’s Office. Mr. Ferrer also thanked the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation for their assistance. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Randy Katz and Thomas P. Lanigan.

White faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000 for each count in Case No. 14-60216-CR-Dimitrouleas. For each count in Case No. 14-60282-CR-Martinez, White faces a maximum penalty of twenty years in prison, five years supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000 for each count. On the count in Case No. 14-60283-CR-Moreno, White faces a maximum term of thirty years in prison, five years supervised release, and a fine of up to $1,000,000.

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