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Former Mayor and Radio Host Convicted of Mortgage Fraud Sentenced to 5.5 Years

On Behalf of | Mar 26, 2015 | Criminal Defense Lawyer |

Ex-Mayor of North Miami, Lucie Tondreau, was convicted for her role in a mortgage fraud scheme conducted prior to her taking office. The charismatic public figure used her status, especially within the Haitian community of which she was a part of, to defraud citizens and banks to the tune of $11 million.

From 2005 to 2008, Tondreau and her co-conspirators, including her one-time fiancé Karle Oreste, leveraged Tondreau’s then-celebrity as a radio host to recruit straw buyers, whose names were used on home loan applications to banks.

Tondreau, Oreste, and two other partners managed to procure home loans fraudulently with the false documentation, and initially profited from the scheme, but when the market crashed, so did their profits, and many of the straw buyers they had used faced financial ruin.

The acts that led to Tondreau’s conviction were conducted prior to her election. She replaced the often accused but never charged with wrongdoing Mayor Andre Pierre. She was removed from office when the charges came to light.

Tondreau was found guilty in December of conspiracy and wire fraud charges and faced up to 30 years in prison. Oreste pled guilty and received 8 years after testifying against her. Sentencing for Tondreau took place in March. She received 9 years, which the judge immediately reduced to the 65 month sentence she will serve.

Allegations of white collar crime are very serious. If charges are brought against you, an experienced criminal defense attorney will ensure that you receive a fair trial, especially in cases subject to the intense scrutiny of the public eye.

Sources:

Ex-North Miami Mayor Lucie Tondreau Sentenced to 65 Months, Munzenreider, Kyle, 24 March 2015

North Miami Ex-Mayor Gets 5.5 Years For Mortgage Fraud, CBSMiami/APMarch 24, 2015

Suspended North Miami Mayor Tondreau Found Guilty of Mortgage Fraud, Weaver, Jay and Dixon, Lance, 16 December 2014

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