Florida and Boston Residents Charged in $10.4 Million Fraud Scheme Targeting Mortgage Loans and Pandemic Relief

Federal prosecutors have charged four individuals – three from Florida and one from Massachusetts – with conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud, stemming from schemes involving fraudulent mortgage applications and abuse of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The alleged schemes total over $10.4 million in fraudulent applications, with over $3.7 million obtained through illicit means.

The Defendants

The individuals indicted are: Sniders Jean-Jacques, 38, of Miami, Florida; Tanya Pierre, 28, of Miami, Florida; Lorne Johnson, 38, of Boston, Massachusetts; and Ashley Spike, 31, of Miramar, Florida. Jean-Jacques and Pierre were arrested in Miami, Johnson in Boston, and Spike in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Mortgage Fraud Scheme

Sniders Jean-Jacques, operating a tax preparation and credit repair business with locations in Miami and Boston, is accused of facilitating fraudulent mortgage loan and apartment rental applications for individuals with poor credit. Prosecutors allege that schemes involved fabricating paystubs, forging bank statements, adding fraudulent applicants to existing credit accounts to inflate credit scores, and using the identities of others – including Tanya Pierre – to secure rentals. The total value of fraudulent mortgage applications reached over $6.7 million, resulting in over $3.7 million in illicitly obtained loans and numerous fraudulent apartment rentals.

Additional individuals implicated in the mortgage fraud include German Olivio, 41, of Westin, Florida, accused of altering bank statements; Jim Kelly Michel, 50, of Delray Beach, Florida, accused of providing fraudulent credit account access and Social Security numbers; and Rosalie Clement-Jackson, 55, of Sunrise, Florida, a mortgage broker who allegedly directed unqualified applicants to Jean-Jacques.

Pandemic Relief Fraud – Paycheck Protection Program

Jean-Jacques and Pierre are too charged with a $7 million scheme to defraud the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Prosecutors claim they recruited ineligible borrowers, created falsified documentation, and retained approximately 30% of the awarded loan amounts as a fee. Lorne Johnson and Ashley Spike allegedly assisted in recruiting borrowers and preparing fraudulent applications.

Potential Penalties

The conspiracy to commit wire fraud charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the scheme, whichever is greater. The charge of conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud carries a more severe potential penalty of up to 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release, and a fine of $1 million or twice the gross gain or loss from the scheme, whichever is greater.

Next Steps

All defendants are expected to appear in federal court in Boston at a later date. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Massachusetts, led by U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley, is prosecuting the case, with assistance from IRS Criminal Investigation and the Slight Business Administration Office of Inspector General.