Disbarred Chicago Lawyer Guilty in Federal Mortgage Fraud Case

A federal jury convicted a disbarred Chicago lawyer on fraud charges for her role in facilitating staged real estate transactions involving Chicago homes in 2003, federal law enforcement officials announced today. The defendant, Lorie Westerfield, was found guilty on three counts of wire fraud and was acquitted on one additional fraud count by a jury Monday after a week-long trial in U.S. District Court.

Westerfield, 46, of Chicago, acted as a seller’s attorney and title company representative in fraudulent transactions that she knew a co-defendant had arranged to obtain lender proceeds from the fraudulent sales. Westerfield faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each of the three fraud counts. She remains free on bond while awaiting sentencing, which was set for Aug. 4 by U.S. District Judge Samuel Der-Yeghiayan

Posted in: ACH and Wire Fraud Collusive Networks Internal Fraud