History. Figure 1: Overview of FHFA-OIG PPP Investigations Resulting in Criminal Charges Since April 2020 Location Date Investi- 2 individuals indicted in North Texas on tax and mortgage-fraud offenses. [1] Your request has been assigned the tracking number 2021- FOIA-00006 and seeks the following information: A copy of the list of FHFA Office oflnspector General investigations CLOSED during Calendar Year 2020. In a recent article, National Mortgage News discusses the Office of the Inspector General at the FHFAs investigation into strategic defaulters. FHFAs Inspector General Looks for Walkaways Strategic defaulters, beware. The Office of Inspector General (Federal Housing Finance Agency) had 129 employees in 2015 with an average pay (base salary + bonus) of $170,649.57. Deputy Inspector General - Investigations Washington, District of Columbia, United States 500+ connections. tation, an FHFA-OIG subpoena that seeks documents already in the possession of Fannie or Freddie could be vulnerable to a legal challenge, given that the FHFA has a statutory right of access to the documents of the En-terprises, and the OIG generally should not need to sub-poena third parties to get them. The arrests were the result of a multi-year investigation led by the LAPD, with significant assistance from the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of Inspector General (FHFA-OIG). Nationwide. Monetary Impact. White Collar defense, Audit Committee investigations, SEC defense and Federal Criminal Tax defense. Please provide your response and schedule a briefing by April 18, 2017. The current FHFA OIG succession plan, if unaltered, would name the FHFA OIG Chief Counsel as the Acting IG. Aggressive. This table shows the top-earning Federal employees of the Office The SBA-OIG, FHFA-OIG, FDIC-OIG, IRS-CI, and TIGTA are investigating the case. Further, in obtaining evidence during an investigation or evaluation, information may be provided to FHFA-OIG that relates to matters incidental to the main purpose of the investigation or evaluation, but which may be pertinent to the investigative or evaluative jurisdiction of another agency. Investigative Counsel for FHFA-OIG. Disclosure of information through remote terminals is restricted through the use of passwords and sign-on protocols, which are periodically changed; these terminals are accessible only to authorized persons. The Chief Counsel role is currently held by Leonard DePasquale, who was found to have obstructed the IC investigation and subsequently recommended for disciplinary action in Respect We treat others with dignity, share information and resources, DALLAS Special Agents with Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation and the Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of Inspector General (FHFA-OIG) arrested Chukwuma Jonas Osuagwu, 43, of Dallas, late Friday, August 5, 2016, on various tax and mortgage fraud offenses, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas. 31 U.S.C. Such information cannot readily be identified. FHFA-OIG believes that the Agency must exercise maximum. Download Table as CSV. 3729 and 3730 Certain false claims investigation information N/A FHFA-OIG 4 4 26 U.S.C. FHFA-OIG has conducted a search and has determined that it possesses a 1 page record responsive to your request. The Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of Inspector General (FHFA-OIG) is committed to holding accountable those who waste, steal, or abuse the resources of the Government-Sponsored Enterprises regulated by FHFA. The Chief Counsel role is currently held by Leonard DePasquale, who was found to have obstructed the IC investigation and subsequently recommended for disciplinary action in Trial Attorney Cory E. Jacobs of the Criminal Divisions Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Fatime Meka Cano of the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of New Jersey are prosecuting the case. Such information cannot readily be identified. $1.5B. The Fraud and Special Prosecutions Unit of the California Department of Justice is prosecuting the case. An oig investigation revealed that one employee hadincorrectly received both metro transit subsidy and parking benefitand had on one trip incorrectly been reimbursed for taxi fare.Fhfawas already aware of the matter and had taken administrativesteps to recover the Further, in obtaining evidence during an investigation or evaluation, information may be provided to FHFA-OIG that relates to matters incidental to the main purpose of the investigation or evaluation, but which may be pertinent to the investigative or evaluative jurisdiction of another agency. On April 14, 2021, the Council of Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiencys (CIGIE) Integrity Committee (IC) sent your office a letter, and corresponding supporting documentation, regarding their findings which substantiate allegations of misconduct by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Inspector General (IG) Laura Wertheimer and several of her employees. Our investigations begin as allegations of suspected fraud, which we receive from SSA employees, other law enforcement agencies, and the public through our Fraud Hotline . FHFA OIG's peer review letter did not require AOC OIG to make changes to its operating procedures based on the results of the peer review. At State OIG, he led its investigation of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's use of personal email for official business; at FHFA OIG, he led investigations on topics related to the 2008 financial crisis and made contributions to efforts that led to taxpayer recoveries exceeding $40 billion. The most common occupation was criminal investigation, followed by general attorney. Join to Connect FHFA OIG Nov 2020 - Jun 2021 8 months. According to the recently filed Motion for Protective Order, ALAW is seeking an entry of an order pursuant to Fed. Attorneys Frank Coan and Robert Wells of the Eastern District of Texas and Trial Attorneys Della Sentilles and Louis Manzo of the Justice Departments Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. An independent investigation by the committee of inspectors general has concluded in a scathing report that Laura Wertheimer, the inspector general of In the United States, other than in the military departments, the first Office of Inspector General (OIG) was established by act of Congress in 1976 under the Department of Health and Human Services to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse in Medicare, Medicaid, and more than 100 other departmental programs. 3729 Certain false claims investigation information N/A FHFA-OIG 1 1 : 8 : V.A. Integrity We are committed to the highest ethical and professional standards to inspire trust and confidence in our work. The most common occupation was criminal investigation, followed by general attorney. Former Employee of Veterans Affairs Medical Center Indicted for Stealing More Than $10 Million Worth of HIV Medication. Assistant U.S. A committee of federal investigators concluded that Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Inspector General (IG) Laura Wertheimer abused her authority and undermined investigations by retaliating against employees in the IGs Office that complained about her conduct. FOIA REQUESTS -- RECEIVED, PROCESSED AND PENDING FOIA REQUESTS . Amir Aqeel, 52, and Pardeep Basra, 51, both of Houston; Rifat Bajwa, 51, Richmond, Texas; Mayer Misak, 40, Cypress, Texas; Mauricio Navia, 41, Katy, Texas; and Richard Reuth, 57, Spring, Texas, made their initial appearances Nov. 17 in the Southern District of Texas. Construction and Insurance Fraud investigations. 1. History. It is these guarantees of independence that make statutory IGs unique. Monetary Impact. FHFA-OIG promotes economy, efficiency, and effectiveness and protects FHFA and the entities it regulates against fraud, waste, and abuse, contributing to the liquidity and stability of the nations housing finance system. The White House is evaluating recommendations to remove or discipline the Federal Housing Finance Agency inspector general following investigations from a Mortgage Fraud and Real Estate Fraud. He was also a Senior Special Agent at the Federal Housing Finance Authority (FHFA) OIG. This is an ongoing investigation. Management Advisory: FHFA-OIGs Investigation of Allegations of Fraud Affecting Paycheck Protection Program Loans Obtained or Sought from Federal Home Loan Bank Member Institutions Report Date: 9/8/2020 502( d) that protects against a waiver of Read more The Office of Inspector General (Federal Housing Finance Agency) had 129 employees in 2015 with an average pay (base salary + bonus) of $170,649.57. We wish to thank our law enforcement partners at the FBI, FHFA-OIG, FDIC-OIG, and the U.S. Attorneys Office for their perseverance and steadfast efforts in V.B.(1). If the public has further information regarding this fraud, please contact the Department of Homeland Security at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE . Foreclosure Fraud? conservatorship management, may be adversely affected. Federal Criminal Defense Attorneys Experienced. Investigations that were to be withheld from public disclosure, specifically, qui tam provisions FHFA-OIG 1 1 . Between 2005 and 2008, BEN LESKE, 40, of Puyallup, worked as a loan officer for PC Bank Home Loans, a division of Pierce Commercial Bank. Not the FBI but the Office of the Inspector General at the Federal [] The arrests were the result of a multi-year investigation led by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), with significant assistance from the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of Inspector General (FHFA-OIG). Richard Parker, Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations for the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of Inspector General (FHFA-OIG), said, the financing of multifamily loans is a significant segment of Fannie Maes and Freddie Macs portfolio. DALLAS A Dallas man was arrested Friday following an indictment against him and a codefendant on various tax and mortgage fraud offenses. Assistant Inspector General for Investigation. Additionally, the Inspector General delegates to the FHFA-OIG Principal Deputy Inspector General, the FHFA-OIG Deputy Inspector General for Audit, the FHFA-OIG Deputy Inspector General for Investigations & Evaluations, and the FHFA-OIG Chief Counsel, the authority to request information under 5 U.S.C. $1.5B. As a result, on March 2, 2011, FHFAOIG issued a Federal Register notice establishing five SORs (76 FR 11465). The Office of Investigations From the U.S. Attorney's Office, District of New Jersey : A criminal complaint was filed in the District of New Jersey today charging a dual-resident of New York and Florida with fraudulently obtaining and laundering nearly $4 million in funds from the COVID-19 relief Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). V.A. Forensic Investigation for Independent Counsel. Assistant U.S. Richard Parker, Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations for the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of Inspector General (FHFA-OIG), said, the financing of multifamily loans is a significant segment of Fannie Maes and Freddie Macs portfolio. The FHFA-OIG, IRS-CI, SSA-OIG and the FDIC-OIG are investigating the case. Otherwise, FHFAs safety and. Summary of Administrative Inquiry: The Office of Inspector General's Review of Alleged Badgering and Harassment of FHFA Employees that Play an Important Role in the Agency's Internal Control Framework (OIG-2019-003) - 03/13/2019 2018 Operations Officer at FHFA-OIG Washington, District Of Columbia 319 connections. How FHFA Or FHFA-OIG Employees May File Whistleblower Reprisal Complaints FORMER SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF COLONIAL BANK PLEADS GUILTY TO FRAUD SCHEME. Allegation: An investigation w as opened after the oig received ananonmyous allegation that three fhfa employees had falsified travelvouchers. DISPOSITION OF FOIA REQUESTS -- ALL PROCESSED REQUESTS. The FHFA-OIG and its Investigations of Simon Curanaj, 67, Yonkers, New York, was sentenced today to 24 months in prison for his role in a $3.5 million scheme to use false information and simultaneous loan applications at multiple banks to fraudulently obtain home equity lines of credit, a practice known as shotgunning.. The Fraud and Special Prosecutions Unit of the California Department of Justice is prosecuting the case. Attorneys Rodolfo Ramirez and Kristine Rollinson are prosecuting the case along with Trial Attorneys Louis Manzo and Della Sentilles of the Criminal Divisions Fraud Section. Federal Housing Finance Agency OIG FHFA-OIG promotes economy, efficiency, and effectiveness and protects FHFA and the entities it regulates against fraud, waste, and abuse, contributing to the liquidity and stability of the nations housing finance system. The numbers totaled above are for published reports and recommendations only; the investigations and procurement-sensitive contract review totals can be found in the Semiannual Reports to Congress. Risk Assessment of FHFAs Government Purchase Card and Travel Card Programs April 1, 2020 March 31, 2021 (OIG-RA-2021-001) - 06/17/2021. The records are accessible to FHFA-OIG personnel, all of whom have been the subject of background investigations, on a need-to-know basis. Washington D.C. Metro Area. FHFA's Office of Inspector General recently completed an evaluation of how well FHFA is overseeing the GSEs' use of appraisal data before they buy single-family mortgages. Many of our investigations produced significant results, Michael Stephens, acting inspector general for the FHFA says in the report. FHFAOIG began operations in October of 2010.