Two LI lawyers charged with mortgage fraud

Two Long Island attorneys have been charged with using straw buyers to obtain fraudulent mortgages on five or more properties, including one in Brooklyn at 3516 Neptune Avenue in Coney Island, according to the Manhattan U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York. Additionally, the defendants, Dustin Dente of West Islip and Brandon Lisi of Glen Cove, stand accused of fraudulently enhancing the credit and credentials of some of the straw buyers, the authorities said. Officials contend that both attorneys acted as closing agents for the straw buyers during most of the transactions in question, which allegedly occurred from 2006 through March this year. The total charges levied against Dente and Lisi include one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud, three counts of bank fraud and one count of wire fraud. If convicted, each could face up to 150 years in prison. Their arrests were part of a larger law enforcement effort, “Operation Bad Deeds,” which has resulted in 41 defendants being charged in four different states. TRD