Tampa Grand Jury Indicts Mother, Son on Mortgage Fraud, Drug Charges

A federal grand jury in Tampa indicted a mother and son earlier this month on separate mortgage fraud and drug charges.

According to the indictment, Maxine Williams-Salter claimed on forms with the IRS that her business was losing money in 2006 and 2007 but then inflated her income when applying for a mortgage for a second home. Federal prosecutors say that she lied about where the money came from to SunTrust Bank when buying the $425,000 St. Petersburg home.

Williams-Salter is charged with wire fraud related to a mortgage application and loan and faces up to 20 years in prison, $382,500 in restitution or the loss of the home if convicted.

Antorrio Williams, Williams-Salter’s son, was charged – in a totally separate case – with conspiring to distribute more than 1,000 kilograms of marijuana in Pinellas County from 2001 to November 2010. If convicted, he faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 20 years and up to a maximum of life in federal prison. The federal government also intends to seek forfeiture of two vehicles, a 2006 Infiniti Q56 and a 2003 Cadillac Escalade, which are alleged to be property used to facilitate the offense or to be traceable to proceeds of the offense.

As we have reported here before, Florida has been identified by federal law enforcement as a hotbed of mortgage fraud and new mortgage fraud cases are constantly being pushed through Tampa’s federal court. Anyone who believes they are a possible target of investigation is best advised to contact an experienced Tampa Bay area criminal defense attorney – one with substantial federal court experience – prior to interview, indictment or arrest.