TRENTON, N.J. – The sole proprietor of a purported loan
modification consulting company was sentenced today to 57 months in prison for
fraudulently billing clients more than $400,000 for services that were never
performed, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Jeffrey Halpern, 63, of Hewlett, New York, previously
pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Peter G. Sheridan to an information
charging him with one count of wire fraud. Judge Sheridan imposed the sentence
today in Trenton federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements
made in court:
Between 2009 and 2016, Halpern operated JCK Marketing and
solicited business from individuals who were seeking home loan modifications on
their residential mortgages. Halpern told these individuals that, for a fee, he
would negotiate loan modifications on their behalf.
In actuality, Halpern pocketed the funds but performed
little or no actual services in connection with the purported loan
modifications. Halpern also repeatedly demanded money for “bank fees” from his
victims, even though none of the related financial institutions charged fees
for loan modifications. During the relevant time period, Halpern defrauded at
least 26 victims of more than $400,000.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Sheridan sentenced
Halpern to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $411,000 in
restitution.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited investigators with the U.S.
Attorney’s Office and special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special
Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark, with the investigation leading to
today’s sentencing. He also thanked the New York State Department of Financial
Services, under the direction of Superintendent Maria T. Vullo; the Federal
Housing Finance Agency Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of
Mark Higgins; and the Nassau County District Attorney’s office, under the
direction of District Attorney Madeline Singas, for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney
Sammi Malek of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.
Defense counsel: Mitchell C. Elman Esq., Port Washington,
New York
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