US mortgage fraud investigation…– put up five buildings for US$2.5M bailFederal Agents in the United States have expressed quiet optimism that Guyanese businessman Ed Ahmad will confess to mortgage fraud by this weekend. This was contained in recent court documents seen by this newspaper.Authorities in the US have subjected Ahmad to electronic monitoring as they continue to probe the fraud.However court documents revealed that the electronic monitoring will cease after the necessary affidavits of confession of judgement are filed, which is expected to be done on or before Friday.As a rule, US prosecutors normally accept plea bargains from persons against whom they have established airtight cases.Ed AhmadFrom all indications, due to painstaking and diligent investigations, the prosecution has been able to secure enough evidence against Ahmad in the mortgage fraud scheme.The businessman, who has several business interests both in the USA and Guyana, has since been placed on $2.5M bail, which he secured by pledging five New York properties.The properties include one at 149-52 115st Street, South Ozone Park, New York, which is listed as owned by one Bibi Nazeema Ahmad.The others listed at 107-14 and 107-18, both on Liberty Avenue, Ozone Park, New York and two more at 105-20 and 88-18 Liberty Avenue, Ozone Park, New York, are all owned by Ed Ahmad.Yesterday Kaieteur News tried contacting Steven Kartagener, the attorney representing Ahmad in New York, but was only able to speak with his secretary.Efforts were also made to contact US District Attorney Alexander Solomon who is representing the United States government.US Federal Special Agent Bryan Trebelhorn has revealed in court documents how the Guyanese/American businessman fleeced a US lending agency “Countrywide Home Loans” of more than US$700,000 on two New York properties.According to Trebelhorn, during 2006 and 2007, Ahmad participated in the preparation of approximately 163 mortgage loan applications to a lending agency, Countrywide Home Loans, for which Countrywide has suffered losses.The special agent said in an affidavit that he has been working on mortgage fraud matters relating to Ahmad since 2007.Ed Ahmad was arrested last Saturday at the John F Kennedy International Airport in New York by agents from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, just after he had boarded a Delta Airlines flight to Guyana. |