Allied Home Mortgage Corp. was ordered to pay $296 million after a jury found the Texas lender violated the False Claims Act by defrauding the Federal Housing Administration insurance program for over a decade.
Jim Hodge, president and CEO of Houston-based Allied, was also ordered to pay $25.3 million.
Allied engaged in a "decade of fraudulent misconduct while participating in the Federal Housing Administration mortgage insurance program," Joon Kim, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, said in a press release.
"Jim Hodge and Allied defrauded a federal mortgage insurance program designed to help spread the dream of homeownership, and then lied about it repeatedly. A jury saw through their lies, and now the court has imposed millions of dollars in additional penalties," according to the press release.
Allied could not be reached for comment as the company's main phone number "is not in service," according to a recording.
A jury found that Allied and Hodge violated the False Claims Act and caused over $92 million in damages to the FHA mortgage insurance fund. The False Claims Act allows courts to impose treble damages.
In addition, the
The Department of Justice alleged that Financial Freedom failed to meet FHA deadlines regarding property appraisal, claim submission and pursuit of foreclosure proceedings and should not have received the interest payments.
"HECM servicers must be held accountable for failing to adhere to FHA requirements that are designed to ensure the continued viability of the HECM program. We are pleased that Financial Freedom agreed to accept financial responsibility for these failures," said Stephen Muldrow, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida, in a press release.