Walter Investment Management Corporation Settles Mortgage Fraud Case for $29 Million

In yet another mortgage fraud case, Walter Investment Management Corporation (Walter Investment) has agreed to pay over $29 million to resolve allegations it falsely certified residential home mortgages under the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM)[1] program. The alleged scheme was uncovered following a […]

First Tennessee Bank Agrees to Staggering Quarter-Billion Dollar Mortgage Fraud Settlement

Mortgage fraud continues to plague the government’s anti-fraud task forces, notwithstanding the widespread 2008 economic downturn caused in part by various residential underwriting antics by big name lenders. Having apparently not learned the lesson, Nashville-based First Tennessee Bank recently settled similar claims of mortgage fraud for a whopping $212 million, […]

MetLife Home Loans LLC to Settle Mortgage Fraud Case for $125 Million

In the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, which was primarily fueled by the housing bubble burst, many less-than-lawful residential home loan lenders have faced serious civil and criminal penalties for participating in shoddy underwriting practices, robo-signing, lax credit reviews, and outright fraud. Over the past several years, the U.S. […]

Court’s Analysis Spells Victory for Bibby Relators Following Contested False Claims Act Reward

Over the last few posts, we have engaged in an in-depth look at a relatively rare issue involving confidentiality during the investigative stage of a False Claims Act whistleblower case. The case, known as United States ex rel. Bibby v. Wells Fargo, N.A., has garnered some national attention as the […]

Exploring the Bibby Case: Where Did the Relators Go Wrong?

As we discussed in yesterday’s post, the Eleventh Circuit recently handed down a ruling in a case of first impression: What sort of punishment should a relator face for breaching confidentiality rules during the investigative stage of a whistleblower action? We reviewed the rules of filing under seal and why […]