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Fort Lauderdale, Fla. - (April 20, 2009) R. Alexander Acosta, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, announced today that fugitive mortgage broker Yvette Scott Patterson waived extradition and has been ordered extradited from Jamaica to face federal mortgage fraud charges in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Patterson waived extradition on Tuesday, April 14, 2009.
Yvette Scott Patterson was arrested on March 8, 2008, and was detained in Kingston, Jamaica, pending extradition to the U.S.. Patterson had fled the U.S. in early 2006 after being arrested and released on separate state charges. Patterson was indicted by a federal grand jury in Fort Lauderdale on November 7, 2006 in connection with “Operation Whose House,” a multi-million dollar mortgage fraud scheme.
The 2006 “Operation Whose House” indictment charged Yvette Scott Patterson and others with conspiracy to commit mail fraud, wire fraud, and identity theft in connection with the mortgage fraud on numerous properties in Broward County, FL, involving more than $10,000,000 in fraud. According to the Indictment, Patterson submitted fraudulent mortgage applications and false documentation to lenders around the United States using straw buyers and the stolen identity of innocent victims. To date, nine defendants have pled guilty as part of Operation Whose House. One additional defendant was convicted after trial and was sentenced to 87 months in jail.
U.S. Attorney Acosta thanked the Jamaican Fugitive Apprehension Team and the Jamaican prosecutors who handled the extradition on behalf of the U.S. for their work and cooperation in this matter. The Operation Whosehouse investigation has been a joint investigative effort between the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Diplomatic Security Service, and the State of Florida Office of Financial Regulation. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey Kay and Jennifer Keene.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
SOURCE: United State Department of Justice -- Southern District of Florida
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