Chicago attorney Jessica Arong O’Brien, 50, was convicted by a federal jury today on two felony counts tied to a $1.4 million mortgage fraud scheme that preyed on lenders across Chicago’s South Side. The verdict caps a years-long investigation into how O’Brien, a licensed lawyer and part-time loan officer, weaponized her positions to falsify documents, conceal debts, and funnel illicit loan proceeds into investment properties.
O’Brien, of Chicago, was found guilty of one count of mail fraud affecting a financial institution and one count of bank fraud—each carrying a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison. U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Durkin scheduled her sentencing for July 6, 2018. Prosecutors proved that between 2004 and 2007, O’Brien submitted fraudulent applications to obtain mortgage loans on a property in the 600 block of West 46th Street and later on a second property in the 800 block of West 54th Street.
The scam didn’t stop at property acquisition. O’Brien then fraudulently refinanced both homes and secured a commercial line of credit to maintain them—all based on lies fed to financial institutions. Ultimately, she sold the properties to co-defendant Maria Bartko, a loan officer at Amronbanc Mortgage Corp., and a straw buyer whom O’Brien knew would themselves commit mortgage fraud to close the deals.
At the time of the crimes, O’Brien worked as a Special Assistant Attorney General for the Illinois Department of Revenue while simultaneously running her own real estate firm, O’Brien Realty LLC, and moonlighting as a loan officer at Amronbanc in Lincolnwood. Bartko, also employed at Amronbanc, pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud affecting a financial institution before trial. Her sentencing has yet to be scheduled by Judge Durkin.
The case was spearheaded by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Office of Inspector General for the Federal Housing Finance Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew F. Madden and Tyler C. Murray prosecuted the case, presenting trial evidence that laid bare O’Brien’s dual life—as both a public servant and a calculated financial fraudster.
O’Brien now faces up to 60 years in federal prison when sentenced this summer. The conviction underscores how trusted professionals can exploit institutional access to orchestrate long-running frauds—leaving banks, buyers, and neighborhoods to pay the price.
Related Federal Cases
- Rocklin Man Pleads Guilty to Massive Mortgage Fraud Scheme · Illinois
- Adam Bernaix Gets 37 Months for $350K Fraud Scheme · Illinois
- Carlos Djemal, 52, Charged in $100M VAT Fraud Scheme · Illinois
- Jamaican National Ricardo Fredrick Smith Charged in Elder Fraud Scheme · Illinois
- Nandu Thondavadi Arrested in $30M Fraud Scheme · Illinois
Key Facts
- State: Illinois
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
🔒 Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
Browse More
