Las Vegas NowAmazing Case of Loan and Mortgage Fraud

Amazing Case of Loan and Mortgage Fraud

Loan and mortgage fraud is becoming big business across the country and crooks continue to find new ways to take advantage of almost anyone and steal any identity.

Eyewitness News has uncovered an amazing case that involves a victimized grandmother in San Diego, a failing Los Angeles loan company and a Las Vegas man who doesn't care who he hurts.

This scheme shows the terrible power of shifty loan sharks and identity thieves. They will stop at nothing to fabricate documents and take advantage of Clark County's legal loopholes. It's a case that took Eyewitness News to the coast of California but it begins at a run-down house in east Las Vegas.

"I'm struggling right now," said Paul Mangione who admits he's on a slippery slope toward self-destruction. He is about to lose his house to foreclosure. The house is in tattered getting worse by the day.

"I was ready to flip out. That's why my walls look like this," Mangione says he went nuts and took a crowbar to the walls.

He says he got in touch with a man named Angel Mora, who said he worked for Best Rate Funding, a loan company.

"He says, 'don't worry about it. I have it taken care of,'" said Mangione had bad credit. Mora said he knew how to fix the problem. He put a woman named Juliet Al on the deed for the house. Mangione didn't know Juliet Al. Angel Mora seemed to have her social security number and more.

Mangione says Mora told him using Juliet Al's name was the only way to protect the house and Mangione went along with the plan.

In Clark County, anyone can be added to a deed with no questions asked. Just put in the name, get a notary to sign off, and you have a new co-owner. And that's exactly what Mangione did. So began a long and thorough process to use Juliet Al and Best Rate Funding's name to secure a loan. Any time Mangione questioned Mora, he says he got the same response.

"We gotta make sure that nobody finds out because she don't know about it. He's been leading me along all this time. I says I just need the deal done. I don't care what you do," said Mangione.

The tracks lead to Southern California, specifically San Diego. Eyewitness News went there to investigate suspicions about Best Rate Funding, but also to uncover the real identity and true face of Juliet Al.

"I'll be 64 in November," said Juliet Al. The widowed grandmother lives in San Diego and joined us during her lunch break. The paper trail she saw shows a manifesto of corruption and greed. With the house already in Juliet's name, Mora and Mangione doctored the Filipino immigrant's history -- remaking her life in their image -- weaving together a web of lies.

"They're professional," Juliet Al said. The paperwork says Juliet Al lived in Las Vegas for 26 years even though she's been in San Diego since 1979. They also said she has been renting a property on Piney Summit. That's an important address, because it's also the place they said hired Juliet Al in a made-up carpet cleaning company.

Juliet Al works in a finance department and doesn't have a clue about carpet cleaning. The Piney Summit address in Las Vegas is actually a vacant home filled with trash and feces. Neighbors say it's been abandoned for a month-and-a-half. Angel Mora used to live in the home.

Mangione and his illusive partner made some other fatal flaws. "See, that's not my signature," Juliet Al said. For all their skills as hucksters, Angel Mora and Paul Mangione forgot one thing, the right way to spell Juliet Al's name.

Juliet Al has only one way to describe it. "chop suey. You know how the chop suey is, mixed up." 

What about, Best Rate Funding?  Angel Mora said he worked for the company and loan documents reference Best Rate. It's a hour's drive from San Diego but Best Rate Funding's phone number no longer works and the eighth floor office in Santa Ana is shut down. The company was affected by the nation-wide mortgage lending crisis and closed the Santa Ana office before moving to Irvine.  The company ceased operations in August, but still remains active.  A company representative who contacted Eyewitness News after this story aired said Best Rate had nothing to do with Angel Mora, Paul Mangione or Juliet Al.  The loan paperwork was never filed with Best Rate.  Angel Mora simply pretended to be an employee and appears to have lied to everyone involved.  A person answering his phone said he's in Mexico.

Angel Mora remains on the loose and he may have been investigated by the FBI. The agency could neither confirm nor deny questioning Mora.

What is certain? A widowed grandmother in San Diego must now regain her identity and restore her credit.

Juliet Al does not know how here information was stolen or how often Angel Mora and Paul Mangione used it. As for the house in question that Paul Mangione was trying to save from foreclosure, it went up for auction on Wednesday.

Click here to email Jonathan Humbert.