Eleven Guilty Pleas in Real Estate Scheme

Eleven Fairfax residents have pleaded guilty to participating in overlapping real estate schemes designed to collectively bilk lenders out of millions of dollars, prosecutors announced this week. 

Between April 17 and May 29, the defendants pleaded guilty to mortgage fraud and similar charges. According to the office of U.S. Attorney Neil MacBride, many of the people involved would alter the terms of real estate settlements by adding inflated costs to the paperwork. The lender would then provide more money than what was actually approved. 

The falsified real estate documents would mask the illegal charges, and the perpetrators could then keep the money for themselves. 

Others involved in the schemes would launder proceeds from cash businesses to avoid paying federal and state taxes. Still others misappropriated funds kept in real estate escrow accounts for personal use. 

“These defendants have admitted to bilking millions of dollars from our financial institutions by falsely inflating costs of doing business while processing short sales, keeping payoffs from mortgages thought to have been refinanced, and illegally borrowing against escrow accounts of homeowners in Northern Virginia,” said Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI's field office in D.C. “These pleas should serve as an alert to those who believe fraud is an acceptable way of doing business.

Prosecutors provided the following list of guilty pleas:

Theresa Choi, 53, of Centreville, pleaded guilty on April 17 to one count of felony conspiracy to commit wire fraud. She faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison when she is sentenced on July 12.

Seung Oh, a.k.a. Sandy Oh, 44, of Great Falls, pleaded guilty on April 30, to one count of felony conspiracy to commit wire fraud. She faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison when she is sentenced on August 16.

Haemi Chee, 24, of Fairfax, pleaded guilty on May 1 to one count of felony conspiracy to commit wire fraud. She faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison when she is sentenced on July 19.

Hae Mi Son, a.k.a. Teri Sohn, 37, of Fairfax, pleaded guilty on May 2, 2013, to one count of felony conspiracy to commit wire fraud.  She faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison when she is sentenced on September 6, 2013.

Sung Hwan Kim, 47, of Fairfax, pleaded guilty on May 9, 2013, to one count of felony conspiracy to commit wire fraud.  He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison when he is sentenced on August 16, 2013.  

James Youngmock Sohn, 55, of Potomac, Md., pleaded guilty on May 8 to one count of felony conspiracy to commit wire fraud.  He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison when he is sentenced on August 16.

Joy Park, 37, of McLean, Virginia, pleaded guilty on May 10 to two counts of felony conspiracy to commit wire fraud. She faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count when she is sentenced on August 9.

Yeon Kyung Han, 52, of McLean, Virginia, pleaded guilty on May 15 to two counts of felony conspiracy to commit wire fraud. She faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count when she is sentenced on August 9.

Hee Jung Jenny Shin, 44, of Fairfax Station, pleaded guilty on May 29 to one count of felony conspiracy to commit wire fraud. She faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison when she is sentenced on September 20.

Woo Suk Oh, a.k.a. Eddie Oh, 41, of Annandale, pleaded guilty on May 14 to one count of felony conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count when he is sentenced on September 6.

Min Shik Kim, 40, of Centreville, pleaded guilty on May 29 to one count of felony conspiracy to commit wire fraud. She faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison when she is sentenced on September 6. 

Companies involved in the fraud: 

• EPRO Technology
• Title One
• Pacific Realty
• Prime Realty and Investment
• Nations Title and Escrow
• Providence Title
• Potomac F&I
• Washington Financial and Investment
• Washington Settlement Group
• Washington Food & Supply of D.C., Inc.