Basic HTML Version
A
SSOCIATED
N
EWSPAPERS OF
M
ICHIGAN
P
AGE
3
October 11, 2012
I
NKSTER
- W
AYNE
- W
ESTLAND
Westland man sentenced in mortgage fraud
Wayne names ‘Diamond’ winners
Rickey White, 46, of Westland
was sentenced last Wednesday to
23 to 40 years in prison by a judge
in Oakland County Circuit Court
after he entered a guilty plea to
multiple charges including racket-
eering and false pretenses. He was
ordered to pay more than $280,000
in restitution to nearly 150 people.
Attorney General Bill Schuette
charged White for his role in an
alleged foreclosure-rescue fraud
operation that scammed at least
360 victims out of $800,000. White
was charged with collecting
upfront fees and impersonating a
mortgagemodification company.
“Foreclosure rescue scamartists
attack Michigan homeowners who
are struggling financially and fight-
ing to stay in their homes,” said
Schuette. “Instead of helping fami-
lies stay above water, these crimi-
nals push themback under. We are
working hard to dismantle these
predatory operations and connect
victims with free foreclosure assis-
tance.”
The criminal charges were filed
as the result of complaints against
the company received by the state
Consumer Protection Division.
The investigation revealed that
from December 2009 through May
2011 White allegedly operated two
companies that were marketed as
mortgage modification businesses:
Braunstein & Associates and
Expert Financial. It was alleged
White offered prospective clients
mortgage loan modifications for a
fee, with a full money-back guaran-
tee. White allegedly told victims
his companies employed expert
attorneys who would review their
lender files to pre-qualify the
homeowner for a mortgage loan
modification. White allegedly
assured clients his attorneys would
file themodificationproposalswith
the homeowner's lender on their
behalf. Investigation revealed that
White allegedly had no attorneys
on staff, and that modification pro-
posals were either incomplete or
never actually submitted to the
banks.
Schuette alleged in the criminal
complaint that White operated
Expert Financial from December
2009 through September 2010.
During this time, White allegedly
victimized more than 300 clients.
When White learned his company
was under investigation, it is
alleged he closed Expert Financial
and opened Braunstein &
Associates. From September 2010
throughMay 2011, Schuette alleged
White victimized at least 60 home-
owners, who were scammed out of
more than $100,000.
White and his company,
Braunstein & Associates, were
each charged with one count of
Conducting Criminal Enterprises
(Racketeering), a felony punishable
by up to 20 years in prison; two
counts of False Pretenses - $1,000-
$20,000, a felony punishable by up
to five years in prison and/or three
times the value of money or prop-
erty involved.
Citizens who believe they may
have been victims of Braunstein &
Associates or Expert Financial can
still file complaints with the attor-
ney general's office at www.michi-
gan.gov/ag by clicking “File a
Complaint.”
Schuette said that Michigan
homeowners that citizens do not
need to pay to speak with their
lender or service or to obtain out-
side assistance with foreclosure
issues. Free local assistance with
foreclosure issues can be found by
calling the Michigan State Housing
Development Authority at (866) 946-
7432. “I encourage homeowners
with foreclosure concerns to con-
tact free, state-certified housing
counselors,” said Schuette. “You
do not have to pay for assistance or
to speakwith your lender.”
Bridget Kelly will receive the
Diamond of the Community Award
this year from the Commission on
Aging in theCity ofWayne.
Commission members chose
Kelly froma large number of nomi-
nations for the honor this year and
have also named former City
Councilwoman Donna McEachern
as an honorary recipient of the
award.
Some comments from nominat-
ing letters submitted for Kelly
included, “Bridget (Kelly) is an
asset to any organization she
belongs to. She spends hours help-
ing friends and neighbors with
errands, rides and emotional sup-
port.”
Other comments were, “A won-
derful friend. Wayne is lucky to
have Bridget. Always a kind word
and smile. Always a willing and
able helper for any request.”
Kelly has lived in Wayne since
1972. She is themother of four sons
and the grandmother of six.
Kelly is currently the treasurer
of The Wayne Rotary Club and a
supporter of several civic, school
and church fundraising activities
including the Wayne Memorial
High School Upward Bound
Program, the Student Scholarship
Program and Senior Assistance,
Friends of the Wayne Library,
Wayne Garden Club, St. Mary
Blood Drive, St. Mary Linen
Committee and St. Mary Outreach
Center where she helps sort and
distribute clothing and food.
Kelly and McEachern will be
honored at a dinner in their honor
beginning at 6 p.m. Oct. 16 at the
Wayne Community Center. Each
will receive an engraved plaque as
a tribute donated by Jack's Sports
which has been supplying the
engraved mementos since the pro-
grambegan in 1995.
Tickets for the event, sponsored
by theWayne Dairy Queen and the
Wayne Rotary Club, are still avail-
able and are priced at $12. They
are available at the Senior
Services office located in the
WayneCommunity Center.
The honorees names will be
engraved on the Diamond of the
Community Award plaque at the
community center. They will also
be honored at the regular Wayne
City Council meeting where they
will receive a resolution from the
city recognizing their contribu-
tions.
Those guys in the pink shirts
really are firefighters.
TheWayne-Westland firefighters
are participating in the Care
Enough to Wear Pink campaign in
support of Breast Cancer
AwarenessMonth going onnow.
Fire department staff members
will be wearing pink tee shirts to
show support for women fighting
breast cancer and raise awareness
throughout the community Oct. 21
through 31.
The shirts worn by the fire
department personnel were pur-
chased by the Western-Wayne
Professional Fire Fighters Union
and are available for purchase.
Diabetes literacy promoted
Firemen don pink tee shirts
The Josie Odum Morris
Literacy Project and the National
Kidney Foundation of Michigan
have introduced a new diabetes
literacy program available to
Inkster residents.
The newprogram, calledRead
Your Way to Health provides one-
to-one training for individuals
who may be at risk of being a dia-
betic or who have recently been
diagnosed as having diabetes.
A spokesman from the literacy
project explained that the forums
and training will take place on
several dates and in various
places in October throughout
Inkster and that anyone who
would like more information
should contact the program coor-
dinator, Sandra Abbott, at (734)
692-2485.