DENVER – Colorado Attorney General John W. Suthers announced today a Statewide Grand Jury Indictment that charges 10 people in a complex mortgage fraud scheme that involved 34 properties in Adams, Arapahoe, Denver and Jefferson counties. According to the Indictment, between April 28, 2004 and December 28, 2006, members of this crime ring fraudulently obtained $10.9 million in mortgages. They allegedly used falsified invoices and shell corporations to deceive lenders into paying $1.1 million back to the buyers.
According to the 45-page Indictment, Uto Essien was the real estate broker who orchestrated the plan by negotiating property acquisitions, and directing buyers to create shell corporations to unlawfully divert funds. Scott Hinkley was the mortgage broker involved in the majority of the transactions. Hinkley worked with Jennifer Wolsey, a loan processor, to secure loans for buyers by over-stating the buyers’ income and under-stating debt liabilities. Idara Ekiko worked for Uto Essien, and she prepared fake invoices that were used to deceive lenders into paying money to the buyers through shell corporations.
The following table summarizes the defendant buyers’ involvement as alleged in the indictment:
|
Defendant/Buyer |
Shell Corporation |
Properties Purchased |
Mortgages Acquired |
Equity Cash Out |
|
Uto Essien |
Essien and Co Realty, Ltd. |
4 |
$1,397,300 |
$140,000 |
|
Idara Ekiko |
New Age Finishing, LLC |
3 |
$910,500 |
$50,853 |
|
Bradley Decker |
Decker Rentals, LLC |
7 |
$2,091,483 |
$279,673 |
|
Cheri Decker |
Decker Rentals, LLC |
8 |
$2,577,650 |
$320,605 |
|
Jessica Decker |
JT Decker Rentals, LLC |
3 |
$1,064,000 |
$118,856 |
|
Heather Etuk |
Rainbow Renovators, LLC |
3 |
$970,813 |
$30,900 |
|
Jessica Caplan |
Wild Horses Denver Properties, LLC |
3 |
$956,500 |
$43,000 |
|
Enoh Etuk |
The Overcomer Construction Group |
3 |
$935,950 |
$133,781 |
|
Total |
|
34 |
$10,904,196 |
$1,117,668 |
Several agencies cooperated in this two-year investigation, code-named “Operation ECO,” including the Colorado Attorney General’s Office, the Colorado Bureau of Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, the 17th Judicial District (Adams and Broomfield Counties) District Attorney, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General. Cases will be filed in Adams County, and prosecuted by the Colorado Attorney General and the Adams County District Attorney’s Office. The indictment charged these defendants criminally, but each of the defendants is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The charges set forth in the Indictment are as follow:
|
Count |
Charge |
Presumptive Sentence |
Defendant |
|
1 |
COCCA |
8-24 years |
Uto Essien |
|
2 |
Theft >$15,000 (F3) |
4-12 years DOC |
Uto Essien |
|
3 |
Forgery (F5) |
1-3 years DOC |
Uto Essien |
|
4 |
Forgery (F5) (3d Party Ks) |
1-3 years DOC |
Uto Essien |
|
5 |
Theft by Receiving (F4) |
2-6 years DOC |
Uto Essien |
|
6 |
Forgery (F5) (Heather) |
1-3 years DOC |
Scott Hinkley |
|
7 |
Forgery (F5) (Uto) |
1-3 years DOC |
Scott Hinkley |
|
8 |
Forgery (F5) (Brad) |
1-3 years DOC |
Scott Hinkley |
|
9 |
Forgery (F5) (Cheri) |
1-3 years DOC |
Scott Hinkley |
|
10 |
Forgery (F5) (Jessica D) |
1-3 years DOC |
Scott Hinkley |
|
11 |
Computer Crime (F3) |
4-12 years DOC |
Jennifer Wolsey |
|
12 |
Forgery (F5) (Brad) |
1-3 years DOC |
Jennifer Wolsey |
|
13 |
Forgery (F5) (Cheri) |
1-3 years DOC |
Jennifer Wolsey |
|
14 |
Theft >$15,000 (F3) |
4-12 years DOC |
Idara Ekiko |
|
15 |
Forgery (F5) |
1-3 years DOC |
Idara Ekiko |
|
16 |
Computer Crime (F3) |
4-12 years DOC |
Idara Ekiko |
|
17 |
Theft >$15,000 (F3) |
4-12 years DOC |
Brad Decker |
|
18 |
Forgery (F5) |
1-3 years DOC |
Brad Decker |
|
19 |
Theft by Receiving (F3) |
4-12 years DOC |
Brad Decker |
|
20 |
Theft >$15,000 (F3) |
4-12 years DOC |
Cheri Decker |
|
21 |
Forgery (F5) |
1-3 years DOC |
Cheri Decker |
|
22 |
Theft >$15,000 (F3) |
4-12 years DOC |
Jessica Decker |
|
23 |
Forgery (F5) |
1-3 years DOC |
Jessica Decker |
|
24 |
Theft >$15,000 (F3) |
4-12 years DOC |
Heather Etuk |
|
25 |
Forgery (F5) |
1-3 years DOC |
Heather Etuk |
|
26 |
Theft >$15,000 (F3) |
4-12 years DOC |
Jessica Caplan |
|
27 |
Forgery (F5) |
1-3 years DOC |
Jessica Caplan |
|
28 |
Theft >$15,000 (F3) |
4-12 years DOC |
Enoh Etuk |
|
29 |
Forgery (F5) |
1-3 years DOC |
Enoh Etuk |
The Defendants’ court appearances are yet to be determined.
