ICE arrests 3 on bank fraud charges

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Three individuals who allegedly provided false statements in loan applications were arrested Friday by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

The charges stem from schemes used by Alejandro Mayendia-Blanco, Orlando Mayendia-Diaz and Nell Blanco-Casasnovas to obtain money from mortgage lending institutions. On or about May 24, 2007, the trio, aiding and abetting each other, knowingly made material false statements to First Equity Mortgage Bankers, Inc. (FEMBI), in connection with a loan application to obtain a mortgage loan in the amount of $1,320,000.00. The loan was to be assigned, sold and transferred to First Bank of Puerto Rico, a federally insured financial institution.

The false statements include U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) settlement statement forms that state that Nell N. Blanco-Casasnovas provided $314,267.27 as cash from borrower, when in fact, such statement was false in that Alejandro E. Mayendía-Blanco refunded Blanco-Casasnovas with the funds he obtained as the seller’s proceeds, thus making the loan proceeds the true source of the funds.

Counts two and three of the indictment also charge Mayendia-Blanco and Mayendia-Díaz with false statements in loan applications for two loans in the amount of $140,000 and $148,000. They used the same scheme.

The HSI investigation is ongoing.

If found guilty, those arrested face a maximum penalty of 30 years.

To report suspicious activity, call ICE's 24-hour toll-free hotline at: 1-866-DHS-2-ICE or visit www.ice.gov.