UPDATE: ARGENT Employees set for Arraignments

Pre Trial appearances Thursday 7-14-2011
Pre Trial re-set for Thursday 8-25-2011
(New) continued until Thursday 9-15-2011
(LATEST) continued until Thursday 10-13-2011

READ ORIGINAL ARGENT STORY/POST.... Linked Below

OHIO says enough !! - 9 Indicted from ARGENT MORTGAGE

Arraignment held - Thursday July 7th - Cuyahoga County Justice Center:
11 appear and enter plea of "NOT GUILTY"
Deeanne Shaw appeared 7-13-11 pled - not guilty
Gerald Spuzzillo appeared 7-12-11 pled - not guilty

1) Denise (O'Brock) Kobus - Argent Account Manager - Bond set at $10,000
Monday 7-11-2011 MOTIONS FILED by Kobus Public Defender:
a) Motion for Discovery and b) Bill of Particulars
c) Motion for Request of Evidence
2) Michael Scola - Argent Account Manager - Bond set at $10,000 

3) Angela Pasternak - Argent Account Manager - Bond set at $10,000
Monday 7-11-2011 MOTIONS FILED by Pasternak Defense:
a) Motion to require Disclosure of Intent to Introduce Evidence of
Other Crimes, Wrongs, Pursuant to Ohio Evid. R. 404(B) 
b) Request under 12(D) for Notice of Evidence
c) Demand for Discovery
d) Motion for Bill of Particulars
e) Motion for Disclosure of Impeaching Information

4) Terry Forbes - Argent Supervisor - Bond set at $ 2,500

5) Gerald Steinkuehler - Argent Supervisor - Bond set at $ 5,000

6) Deeanne R. Shaw - appeared w/attorney on 7-13-2011 - Posted Bond of $ 2,500
7) Kirk Porter - Argent Underwriter - Bond set at $ 2,500

8) David Mongriotis - Argent Underwriter - Bond set at $ 2,500
9) Erin Foley-Ottaviano - Argent Underwriter - Bond set at $ 2,500

10) James "aka Jessie" Sims - Mortgage Broker - Bond set at $ 2,500

11) Karen Harris - Defendent - Bond set at $ 5,000

12) Linda Warner - Ohio Appraiser - Bond set at $ 5,000
13) Gerald Spuzzillo - appeared 7-12-2011 - Posted Bond of $ 2,500
Monday 7-11-2011 MOTIONS FILED by Spuzzillo Defense:
a) Motion for Discovery and b) Bill of Particulars
c) Motion for Request of Evidence and d) Inspection of Evidence
e) Motion to Examine Exculpatory and Material

Bill Mason*

The State of OHIO through prosecutor Bill Mason and the Cuyahoga County Mortgage Fraud Task Force, have scheduled the Arraignment hearings for 13 individuals named in the indictment of June 22, 2011. Nine (9) are former employees of the now defunct mortgage lender. Three (3) former Argent "Account Executives" are alleged to have helped coach independent Mortgage Brokers by creating mortgage applications that would be approved through Two (2) Supervisors and Four (4) Underwriters working in concert from Argent's Rolling Meadows office located in Chicago.

The following 9 defendants were previously employees, agents or independent contractors with Argent Mortgage Company:

1) Denise (O'Brock) Kobus, 46, of Woodstock IL. - Argent Account Manager

2) Michael Scola, 60, of Round Lake IL. - Argent Account Manager

3) Angela Pasternak, 31, of Rockford IL - Argent Account Manager

4) Terry Forbes, 33, of Dixon IL - Argent Supervisor

5) Gerald Steinkuehler, 47, of St Louis MO. - Argent Supervisor

6) Deeanne R. Shaw, 35, of Gig Harbor  WA. - Argent Underwriter

7) Kirk Porter, 50, of Chicago IL. - Argent Underwriter

8) David Mongriotis, 30, of Hoffman Estates IL - Argent Underwriter

9) Erin Foley-Ottaviano, 34, of Round Lake Beach IL - Argent Underwriter

Four(4) others charged from OHIO: 

Photo courtesy of Cuyahogo County Jail

10) James "aka Jessie" Sims, 61, of Akron Ohio 

allegedly an OHIO Mortgage Broker facing multiple counts including Complicity, Aggravated Theft, and Tampering with Records

Photo courtesy of Cuyahogo County Jail

11) Karen Harris, 45, of Euclid Ohio

is also named in the indictment and faces charges of Engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, and property forfeiture.

Ohio Appraisers:

12) Linda Warner, 47, of Cleveland Ohio and

13) Gerald Spuzzillo, 41, of Chardon Ohio 

alleged to have falsified appraisals submitted to Argent Mortgage and Long Beach Mortgage

READ ORIGINAL ARGENT POST.... BELOW
OHIO says enough !! - 9 Indicted from ARGENT MORTGAGE

State of OHIO vs. ....above named (1-13)    FULL 68 Page INDICTMENT (HERE)

*Bill Mason, the prosecutor, states this case involves 100 properties located in Cuyahoga and Summit counties that were financed with nearly $13 million in Argent loans. Properties were financed or sold through Uri Gofman, the owner of Cleveland-based Real Asset Fund, or one of his companies. This new investigation grew from an original case that was being prosecuted against Gofman, who was indicted in August 2008. It was said to be one of the biggest mortgage fraud schemes in U.S. history. It involved 453 homes purchased with $44 Million in FRAUDulent loans with up to $31million... siphoned off... in profits.

"[This is] the first time in Ohio and...few instances nationwide that a mortgage fraud investigation has led to CRIMINAL CHARGES against [Argent Mortgage] employees {and} of a sub prime lender. The securitization and selling of these fraudulent, sub prime loans to Wall Street typified the rampant greed of the industry that ultimately led to the financial crisis " said Cuyahoga County prosecutor, Bill Mason.