TAMPA, Fla. – Carlos Calderon, 56, of Clermont, Florida, pleaded guilty Friday in Tampa to conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Calderon faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement and court proceedings, Calderon and others engaged in a conspiracy to create and execute a mortgage fraud scheme targeting various financial institutions.
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The scheme involved creating fictitious and fraudulent pay stubs for unqualified borrowers. These documents falsely represented that borrowers were employed by specific companies for certain durations and earned particular incomes.
Calderon generated these fraudulent pay stubs and then provided them to a co-conspirator, who subsequently submitted them to financial institutions as part of mortgage loan applications.
Based on the false information provided by Calderon and his co-conspirators, the financial institutions approved and funded mortgage loans that would not have otherwise been granted.
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These fraudulently obtained mortgages were later purchased and guaranteed by Freddie Mac and the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), exposing these entities to risk.
The case was investigated by the Federal Housing Finance Agency – Office of Inspector General (FHFA-OIG) and the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development – Office of Inspector General (HUD-OIG). Special Assistant United States Attorney Chris Poor is prosecuting the case.
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