A Southfield woman who worked for the Wayne County treasurer\u2019s office has been sentenced to federal prison for her role in a conspiracy to steal properties headed for foreclosure.<\/p>\n
At a hearing July 1 in federal court in Detroit, Jontae Jackson, 45, was sentenced to 66 months incarceration for conspiracy to commit bribery and aggravated identity theft. Co-conspirator Zina Thomas, 62, of Detroit, was handed a sentence of 90 months in federal prison for federal program bribery.<\/p>\n
According to the Department of Justice, court records show Jackson \u2014 who was a taxpayer assistant at the Wayne County Treasurer\u2019s Office \u2014 conspired with and took bribes from Thomas to steal approximately 100 properties located in Wayne County, primarily in Detroit,\u00a0 valued at approximately $6.4 million. Thomas was Director of Homeownership Programs for a local non-profit organization and a real estate agent at the time.<\/p>\n
As stated in a news release from the DOJ: \u201cThe scheme involved Thomas identifying properties facing potential tax foreclosure and then diverting those properties into her control through fraudulent quitclaim deeds.\u201d<\/p>\n
The fraud involved multiple bogus deeds, and the properties often transferred from the victim-owners to non-existent \u201cinterim owners,\u201d the DOJ stated. Thomas then sold many of the properties to third parties and bribed Jackson to upload false documentation \u2014 including fake driver\u2019s licenses,utility bills and Principal Residence Exemption forms \u2014 into Wayne County\u2019s Property Tax Administration system. Jackson then stopped the pending foreclosures.<\/p>\n
The scheme prevented dozens of properties from being auctioned off, depriving Wayne County of an estimated $1.5M in tax revenue, the DOJ stated.<\/p>\n
The case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the Wayne County Register of Deeds\u2019 Mortgage & Deed Fraud Unit, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Particka.<\/p>\n
Public\u2019s help sought in finding teen girl who left Pontiac home Monday<\/a><\/p>\n