Commission Creates Financial Fraud Unit

With the number of mortgage fraud investigations rapidly escalating, the Commission created a new Financial Fraud Unit to investigate these cases and to work with state and federal law enforcement agencies to bring appropriate cases for criminal prosecution.

Janet B. Thoren, the Commission’s Chief Deputy Legal Counsel and a Special Assistant United States Attorney, will supervise the unit. Michael Gray, the Commission’s former Chief Auditor/Investigator, has been designated as the Chief Financial Fraud Investigator. As an investigator with the Commission for the past 14 years, Mr. Gray focused almost exclusively on mortgage fraud cases since 2000. In addition, the Commission has employed D. Scott Schiller in the position of Financial Fraud Investigator. Mr. Schiller, a former Special Agent with the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division, has an extensive background in criminal investigation and mortgage fraud.

The Financial Fraud Unit is responsible for investigating mortgage fraud cases involving real estate licensees and working with federal and state agencies to promote the criminal prosecution of those involved in mortgage fraud.