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Oxnard Loan Broker Sentenced to Prison

An Oxnard mortgage broker has been sentenced to eight years in federal prison for orchestrating a fraud scheme. Rosa Fernandez, 38, who was an employee of Mortech Financial, originated fraudulent mortgage loans by putting false information on the applications and using bogus tax letters to qualify borrowers. Lenders provided Fernandez with substantial commissions for the originated loans. Fernandez, a Camarillo resident, pleaded guilty in February 2012 to three counts of bank fraud. Prosecutors said that while waiting for her sentence Fernandez defrauded another lender in an attempt to secure a loan modification for one of her properties. She pleaded guilty to that offense as well and the two cases were consolidated for sentencing. U.S. District Court Judge John Kronstadt sentenced Fernandez on Thursday in Los Angeles federal court. She also was ordered to pay $3.6 million in restitution. Prosecutors said Fernandez perpetuated the fraud through the assistance of real estate agents and tax preparers who located homebuyers and assisted in falsifying information. Nine others have been charged in the scheme. The case was investigated by the FBI, Ventura County District Attorney’s Office, IRS, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Inspector General Office, U.S. Secret Service and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Joel Russel
Joel Russel
Joel Russell joined the Los Angeles Business Journal in 2006 as a reporter. He transferred to sister publication San Fernando Valley Business Journal in 2012 as managing editor. Since he assumed the position of editor in 2015, the Business Journal has been recognized four times as the best small-circulation tabloid business publication in the country by the Alliance of Area Business Publishers. Previously, he worked as senior editor at Hispanic Business magazine and editor of Business Mexico.

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