Five expected to do jail time in SoCal mortgage mod scam

Five men convicted for their role in a mortgage loan modification scam that included fake letters with CitiFinancial or CitiMortgage logos are expected to do jail time after pleading guilty to violating a California law enacted in 2009 that makes it illegal to collect upfront fees for loan modification work or services. Prosecutors with the Orange County District Attorney’s office said victims lost more than $130,000 in the scheme. Four defendants who entered guilty pleas this week are expected to be sentenced in July: Irvine residents Jacob John Cunningham, 26; John D. Silva, 28; Dominic Adam Nolan, 32; and Justin Dennis Koelle, 23, of Costa Mesa. A fifth defendant, Andrew Michael Phalen, 26, of Mission Viejo, pleaded guilty in June, 2012, to one felony count of conspiracy to collect illegal upfront fees and conspiracy to commit fraud and was sentenced to one year in jail. Source: orangecountyda.com.