Oak Brook Attorney Indicted for Mortgage Fraud

An Oak Brook attorney is being charged with participating in a $1.5 million mortgage fraud scheme involving properties on the Chicago South Side, the U.S. Department of Justice announced on Tuesday.

According to the indictment, Robert Lattas, 36, represented SSB Real Estate Solutions, Inc. (partially owned by co-defendant Steven Bartlett, 42, of Chicago,) as the corporation sold properties tied to fraudulent mortgage loans at inflated prices, repeatedly misrepresenting buyers’ qualifications and intentions to lenders on HUD-1 settlement statements.

“Lattas allegedly represented, or had his associates represent, SSB Re at closings in which properties were sold to buyers, knowing that Bartlett had recruited individuals to provide funds that were falsely represented to lenders as the buyers’ down payments,” a DOJ press release reads.

“Lattas knew individuals other than the buyers were providing cashier’s checks representing the buyers’ down payments and falsely listed them as the remitters, the charges allege.”

Lattas, Bartlett and loan originator Nicholas Burge, 34, of Bloomington, have each been charged with one count of mail fraud and four counts of wire fraud. Bartlett remains in custody pending a detention hearing; Lattas and Burge will be arraigned at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday.