newlife family worship

Milpitas, San Jose Victims Lose Homes to Real Estate Scammer - Milpitas, CA Patch:

'via Blog this'

 Print

  Comment

    

 Upload Photos and Videos

The Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office has charged a 56-year-old San Juan Bautista man with felony foreclosure fraud after he reportedly bilked homeowners in Milpitas and San Jose out of more than $650,000 and fraudulently took the titles to their homes.

At the time of the scams the suspect, Wesley Fort, was a bishop in the Newlife Family Worship Center Church of God in Christ International in Hollister.

Between 2005 and 2006, Fort, also a foreclosure consultant under California law, promised three families that he could save their homes. To do so, the bishop convinced the victims to transfer title to their homes to him to stop the foreclosure process. He promised that he would give the properties back to the victims when they were ready to resume ownership.

In the meantime, the victims were to make monthly payments to Fort.

In one case, the payments to the clergyman were even more than the family’s mortgage payments. Instead of saving their homes and returning the title to the victims, Fort either stripped equity from the properties through cash-out refinancings or sold the properties at a profit to himself.

All three properties eventually lapsed into foreclosure again, with the families losing their homes.

Under California law, it is a felony for foreclosure consultants to acquire any interest in a residence in foreclosure from a homeowner who has contracted with the consultant.

“Homeowners in foreclosure should never transfer title to their homes to foreclosure consultants offering to help,” said Deputy District Attorney Mike Fitzsimmons.  “Once you lose title, you lose control, and that’s not a good place to be when your home is on the line.”

Fort has plead guilty to the charges. Sentencing for Fort is scheduled for Nov. 16 in Santa Clara County Superior Court.

The District Attorney's Office said Fort will receive of sentence of no more than two years and eight months in jail, subject to the amount of restitution paid by sentencing, followed by a three-year period of mandatory supervision