A man claiming to be an “Authorized Representative” of then-Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson allegedly convinced financial services corporation CitiGroup to accept a money order stating it was “drawn on the account of ‘Secretary of the Treasury Henry M. Paulson, Jr.,” according to Fox News. Bryan Gardner of Waldorf, Md., is now under investigation after allegedly sending CitiMortgage the $353,000 money order in January 2009 as final payment for a property in Bowie, Md.
CitiMortgage “erroneously accepted the document and credited Gardner’s mortgage account in full,” according to a Secret Service affidavit. Fox also reported that Gardner then sold the property for $254,900 before distributing the proceeds to others, and investigators also believe the 35-year-old originally secured the mortgage under “false pretenses.”
According to the Secret Service, Gardner had attempted to send a practically duplicate money order to CitiMortgage to November 2008—the same month Paulson and the Bush administration agreed to lend CitiGroup $45 billion in taxpayer funds—although that attempt was rejected and was for slightly less money. A grand jury has not yet indicted Gardner, who has been charged through criminal complaint with one count of mail fraud. He filed for bankruptcy protection in February and agreed to surrender his Waldorf home as well his Ford Expedition two months later.
People should not go to such extremes to avoid declaring bankruptcy. It’s easy to get deserved relief today and work with a Maryland lawyer who can help you achieve an affordable bankruptcy now. Rather than trying to pass yourself as having a check from a Cabinet member to close out your mortgage, our staff can give you far more sensible, realistic options when you are often asking, “Should I file bankruptcy?”
The Law Firm of Kevin D. Judd – Washington DC bankruptcy attorney
