Mortgage bank president booked on murder, DUI charges

Mortgage banker OCMBC said it's placed company president Serene Rosenberg, more commonly known in the industry as Serene Vernon, on leave after she was booked on murder and driving under the influence charges following a fatal accident this past weekend. 

Vernon, 48, of Dana Point, California was arrested Friday evening on suspicion of driving under the influence after a head-on collision between her Land Rover SUV and a Ford transit van, according to the Orange County Sheriff's Department. A passenger in the van, Melvin Joseph Weibel, 88, of Dana Point, was pronounced dead at the scene and the driver was treated for serious, but non-life-threatening injuries.

The accident occurred at 6:15 p.m. at the intersection of Golden Lantern and Stonehill Drive in Dana Point, authorities said. Vernon's Land Rover was traveling westbound on Stonehill Drive and turned left against a red arrow signal in front of the van traveling eastbound, according to a preliminary investigation. 

Law enforcement officials said Vernon had three prior convictions. Orange County court records show Vernon pleaded guilty to a charge of driving with a blood alcohol content of 0.8% or more in 2010 and received 3 years probation. In 2012, she was sentenced to 90 days in jail and subject to treatment programs after pleading guilty to child abuse and endangerment and driving under the influence of alcohol or drug charges. 

A case number had not been updated for Vernon's arrest Monday morning, and it was unclear if she's retained an attorney. 

Her employer, an Irvine, California-based lender, in a press release Sunday said it placed Vernon on administrative leave and elevated former chief capital markets officer John Hamel to her role.

"This has been a difficult time for everyone affected by this tragic event, and our hearts go out to those impacted," said Rabi Aziz, CEO of OCMBC, in the press release. "I have full confidence in John Hamel and our experienced leadership team to guide the company forward while upholding our standards of excellence and dedication to our clients and partners."

The firm said there would be no disruptions to its business. It claims to be a top-five wholesale lender through its Loanstream arm, and the nation's second-largest non-qualified mortgage originator. It originated over $3.5 billion in loan volume in 2023, according to Home Mortgage Disclosure Act data. 

The Orange County-based lender and servicer has 21 sponsored mortgage originators and 5 branches across the Western U.S., according to public records. In September it purchased waning lender Homestar Financial for its Ginnie Mae ticket, Vernon told National Mortgage News at the time.