Carrollton resident Moshe Levi pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court in Boston to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering, federal prosecutors announced Wednesday, Nov. 4. Prosecutors said the scheme involved more than $1.5 million in fraudulent property sales.
Prosecutors said Levi and alleged accomplices targeted vacant properties without liens whose owners lived out of state. They said the group used fake driver's licenses, passports and online accounts in the owners' names to persuade real estate professionals to list the properties and transfer deeds to buyers. The Justice Department identified properties in Massachusetts, Georgia, Indiana and Tennessee.
The Texas Department of Insurance advises buyers to visit properties, use trusted notaries and consider title insurance. U.S. District Judge Myong J. Joun presides over the case.