Massachusetts Closing Attorney Gets 2 To 3 In Mortgage Stacking Racket; Pocketed $2M+ In Scam; Title Insurance Underwriter Left Holding The Bag

From the Office of the Massachusetts Attorney General:

• Attorney General Martha Coakley’s Office announced the sentence of [...] former Somerville real estate attorney [Kevin Carey, age 49, of Middleboro] in connection with making false statements on mortgage applications and associated documents and using the funds secured from the loans for his own purposes, rather than paying off existing loans as directed by the new lenders. [... S]uperior Court Judge D. Lloyd MacDonald sentenced Carey to two to three years in State Prison, followed by 10 years probation. Carey is also ordered to pay $2.6 million in restitution.(1)

***

• While practicing as a real estate lawyer in Somerville and Medford, Carey engaged in a scheme called “mortgage stacking” on four residential properties he or his family members owned. The scheme involved serially refinancing the loans on these properties, without paying off the existing loans. Carey was also the agent for a New England title insurance company which allowed him to issue title insurance policies on mortgage transactions he processed.

***

• Carey “stacked” three mortgages on a home in Medford, two mortgages each on two different properties in Everett, and one mortgage on his personal residence in Medford. [...] When he received the proceeds of the loans, Carey did not pay off the existing mortgages on these properties, but rather used the funds for his own benefit. Carey issued title insurance policies or commitments in connection with the transactions, and the lenders were therefore protected, but ultimately the title insurance company suffered the financial loss. As a result of this scheme Carey stole over $2 million. The lenders remained unaware of the problem because Carey continued to make monthly payments on all of the loans.(2)

For the Massachusetts AG press release, see Former Somerville Lawyer is Sentenced to 2 – 3 Years in State Prison in Connection with Mortgage Stacking Scheme.

(1) Carey pled guilty to the charges of Larceny Over $250 (8 counts) and Willfully Making a False Statement Regarding Financial Condition or Assets (7 counts), according to the press release.

(2) According to the press release, a database search by Fannie Mae flagged the multiple mortgages on one of the properties, triggering a notification to one of the lenders. The lender then notified the title insurance company of the problem. Lawyers for the title insurance company then referred the matter to the Attorney General’s Office, according to the press release.