: News
By Meymo Lyons
The ringleader of a mortgage fraud scheme involving dozens of homes in Northern Virginia and losses of more than $9 million has been sentenced to five years in prison.
Real estate agent Ruben Rojas led a criminal enterprise that resulted in 20 arrests last year. Police investigated after residents in some Fairfax County neighborhoods complained that the homes in question were serving as illegal boarding houses.
The five-year sentence was longer than what prosecutors sought. Both the judge and the government say Rojas' behavior is a prime example of what went wrong nationally in the housing market.
Mortgage fraud has been a top priority for federal prosecutors in Virginia, with more than 50 criminal cases since 2009. Banks and other victims lost more than $100 million in those frauds.
Dan Brown: 'Inferno' Is 'The Book That I Would Want To Read'
Dan Brown, author of the blockbuster The Da Vinci Code, is back with his first novel in four years. Inferno follows academic hero Robert Langdon on a chase through Italy as he attempts to avert a biological catastrophe.'Picture Cook': Drawings Are The Key Ingredients In These Recipes
Designer Katie Shelly's upcoming cookbook offers 50 illustrated recipe "blueprints" for basic meals — from simple snacks to more hefty dishes like eggplant Parmesan. She hopes they'll inspire any level of cook to improvise in the kitchen.Ken Cuccinelli Wins GOP Nomination For Virginia Governor
Virginia's attorney general Ken Cuccinelli will face former Democratic National Committee chairman Terry McAuliffe in November to become Virginia's 72nd governor.
Book News: Amazon May Be Called Before Parliament Over Taxes
Also: AARP and The Nation join a growing list of ebook publishers; Hilary Mantel on Jane Austen; Anne Applebaum on Sheryl Sandberg.Leave a Comment
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