Cape man accused of providing false info on mortgage application pleads guilty
A Cape Coral man pleaded guilty Tuesday afternoon to providing false information on an application to obtain a mortgage loan for $244,000.
Christopher Hernandez entered a plea of guilty to one count of providing false information for the purposes of obtaining a mortgage in a deal with federal prosecutors. The count is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
According to court documents, Hernandez received the loan based on “false statements” that he “did knowingly make.” He “misrepresented” his monthly income, length of employment and bank account” and “omitted the existence of newly obtained mortgages on other properties.”
No sentencing date had been set as of Tuesday.
Attorney John C. Coleman, who is representing Hernandez, had no comment.
According to the documents, Hernandez was a straw buyer for a property at 2309 N.W. 10th Ave. in May 2006. Clayton John, a Cape resident who is also listed as a co-defendant, reportedly orchestrated the scheme.
The lender, Valley Bank, alleges in its compliant that it had no knowledge of the inter-relationship of a “private payoff” to Carribean Paradise Properties and Carribean Paradise Properties’ relationship to John, a
mortgage broker, and Hernandez when the closing was approved, according tothe documents.
John has a court date scheduled for June 16.