Conspirator sentenced to more than 2 years for role in residential mortgage fraud scheme

GREENBELT, Md. – A Maryland woman was sentenced in federal court Wednesday for her role in a residential mortgage fraud scheme. The investigation was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in cooperation with the Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General - Office of Investigations; the Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of Inspector General; the United States Secret Service – Washington Field Office and the U.S. Department of the Treasury - Office of Inspector General.

Annika Boas, 37, of Mount Rainier was sentenced to 27 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for conspiracy, wire fraud and making a false statement on a loan application, arising from a residential mortgage fraud scheme.

According to the evidence presented at her four day trial, from March 2007 to November 2008, Boas conspired with real estate agent Edgar Tibakweitira, Ayoub Luziga with whom Boas was in a relationship, and others to fraudulently obtain residential mortgage loans by making false statements during the loan application and approval process. The conspirators used stolen or false identity information, false documents – including W-2 forms, earnings and banks statements – and false credit information to induce lenders to provide mortgage loans to straw purchasers, such as Boas and others recruited by Luziga and Tibakweitira. As part of the scheme, Tibakweitira inflated the sales price of the property by creating false documents for repairs and renovations that were never made. After the settlement, the conspirators divided up the cash received for the purported repairs.

Witnesses testified that the conspirators obtained the identity information of a least four individuals without their knowledge. Boas and other conspirators assumed the identities of these individuals and acted as straw buyers to obtain the loans used to purchase the properties. The evidence showed that Boas assumed the identity of one of the victims using a fraudulent North Carolina driver’s license with the victim’s name but Boas’ photo, to pose as the victim at the settlement for two properties.

As a result of the conspiracy, Boas caused $511,147.06 in losses to federally-insured financial institutions.

Co-conspirators Edgar Tibakweitira, aka “Edgar Julian,” “Charles Edgar Tibakweitira,” and “Edgar Gaudious Tibakweitira,” 46, of Severn, Maryland and Ayoub Luziga, 35, of Bowie, Maryland, have pleaded guilty to their roles in the scheme. Luziga was sentenced to 21 months in prison and ordered to pay restitution of $999,762.  Tibakweitira awaits sentencing.

Five other conspirators have also pleaded guilty to their roles in the scheme, including: Tibakweitira’s wife Flavia Makundi, 42, of Severn; Mokorya Cosmas Wambura, 41, of Takoma Park; Raymond Abraham, 47, of Silver Spring; Cane Mwihava and Abdallah Suleiman Kitwara, both 43, of Bowie. Wambura was sentenced to five years in prison and ordered to pay restitution of $434,867.65. Abraham was sentenced to 33 months in prison and ordered to pay restitution of $999,762. Kitwara was sentenced to 15 months and ordered to pay restitution of $290,954. Makundi was sentenced to time served.  Mwihava is scheduled to be sentenced on March 23.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Di Gregory, Investigative Counsel for the Federal Housing Finance Agency Inspector General prosecuted the case.