A Missouri woman admitted in a federal court in St. Louis Tuesday that she bilked more than 80 Hawaii homeowners out of at least $265,000 in a scheme that promised mortgage relief.
Marien Brown, 41, pleaded guilty to three counts of mail fraud and faces up to 20 years in prison for each count when a federal judge sentences her in December. She remains free on a $25,000 signature bond.
According to an indictment a federal grand jury returned last month, Brown created two businesses, 1st Financial Resources and 1st Federal Resources. Both businesses have addresses at a UPS store that provides commercial mail box services, and were operated from her home in Wentzville, Mo.
She targeted Hawaii homeowners behind on one or more mortgage payments or in imminent risk of foreclosure, with mailers claiming that her businesses provided a "mortgage rescue" or "foreclosure rescue" service.
When the homeowners contacted her, Brown, who identified herself as Marien White, convinced them that she was working with their lenders and could modify their mortgages if they made their payments through her.
The victims stopped sending Brown money when they discovered their lenders were not receiving payments and did not have a working relationship with Brown or her companies.
One homeowner in Hilo sent one wire transfer of $2,519 to Brown before realizing she had been scammed; a homeowner in Wahiawa paid Brown $2,093; a woman in Wahiawa paid Brown $1,600; and a man in Wahiawa made two wire transfers totaling $6,912, the indictment said.
One victim said she believes Brown got her financial information over the Internet because she had previously sought mortgage relief through another company online.
The federal prosecutor in St. Louis said Brown has agreed to pay back the approximately $265,000 she stole from her victims and any other losses that might arise.
