Crime & Safety
Riva Woman Pleads Guilty in $4.8 Million Mortgage Fraud Scheme
Bonnie Kathleen Kreamer, 47, is facing up to 30 years and prison and a fine of up to $1 million for her part in the scheme.
Riva resident Bonnie Kathleen Kreamer, 47, pleaded guilty Monday to conspiring to commit wire fraud as part of a mortgage scheme that resulted in losses totaling over $4.8 million and involving at least 30 victims, according to a release issued by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Kreamer, a.k.a. Bonnie Meehan, had her Maryland license to issue title insurance policies revoked in 2002 following a theft conviction, according to the Department of Justice. However, Kreamer had "significant day-to-day responsibility for the operation of Sanford Title" from 2007 to 2010, although her license was revoked. Sanford Title is located in Columbia, MD.
Between June 2008 and January 2010, while employed at Sanford Title, Kreamer and five co-conspirators set up various real estate transactions to personally benefit themselves and each other, states the release.
The release lists the following fraudulent techniques used by the Kreamer and her co-conspirators:
- Short sales in which the property was sold for a higher price than was represented to the lien holder and the seller
- Sales of properties not owned by the seller at the time of settlement
- Real estate transactions in which there were multiple sales of the same property at the same time
- Real estate transactions in which the buyer’s financial status was misrepresented to lenders
- Transactions in which the seller and/or buyer were shown different settlement statements
- The conspirators used the difference between the figures in the two statements to enrich themselves
- Personally facilitated deals between her co-conspirators
- Prepared false settlement statements
- Improperly disbursed funds contrary to the settlement and lender approved disbursements sheets
- Failed to pay off mortgage loans in accordance with the settlement documents
- Directed funds to entities created by herself and her co-conspirators
- Received proceeds of fraudulent transactions
- Improperly issued title insurance policies
Co-conspiritors, Niesha Williams, 34, of Fort Washington; Rhonda Scott, 52, of Oxon Hill; Emeka Udeze, 38, of Bowie; Demetrius Peete, 46, of Manassas; and Gregory Green, 49, of Waldorf—have all pleaded guilty to their roles in the fraud and are also awaiting sentencing, according to the release.
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