Chatsworth Actor, Northridge Accountant Charged in Mortgage Scheme

An actor who had mostly bit parts in dozens of movies and a Northridge  accountant were charged Friday -- and plan to plead guilty -- to conspiring to commit mortgage fraud in a scheme that led to $3.8 million in losses, federal prosecutors said.

Tommy Lister -- a 54-year-old actor and former wrestler also known as "Tiny" -- and Arcelia Chavez, 48, of Northridge, are both charged with one count of conspiracy, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

In plea agreements filed in Los Angeles federal court, both Lister and Chavez agreed to plead guilty, prosecutors said.

According to court papers, Lister, who lives in Chatsworth, conspired with several Southland financial services workers to falsely acquire title to four residential properties he could not afford.

With their help, Lister obtained mortgages for the properties by submitting mortgage applications that included inflated income and asset amounts, fabricated bank statements and other falsified documents to substantiate the phony statements in loan applications, prosecutors said.

In addition to fraudulently obtaining the mortgages, Lister and his co- conspirators concealed from lenders the fact that he would receive kickbacks from sellers after the deals closed, prosecutors said.

Relying on the fraudulent applications and documents, lenders issued mortgages totaling $5.7 million. Lister subsequently defaulted on the four mortgages, causing those lenders and their successors to lose about $2.6 million, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Lister, who had minor roles in the films The Dark Knight, Jackie Brown, The Fifth Element and Friday, among others, also admitted in his plea agreement that Chavez aided him in elements of the scheme, including helping obtain one of the fraudulent mortgages.

A co-defendant, Sami Sager Sweiss, an ex-mortgage loan officer from Woodland Hills, pleaded guilty last month to a conspiracy count.

As part of his plea, Sweiss admitted that he conspired with Lister, Chavez and others to commit mortgage fraud, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

The conspiracy charge carries a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.

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