Brooklyn arsons tied to mortgage fraud 

Authorities have charged that two cases of arson that happened in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, were connected to mortgage fraud. The arsons took place in 2006 at 1033 Pacific Street, in which four people died, and at 1162 Pacific Street, about 30 minutes later, where residents escaped. The Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office announced that Carlyle Ebanks, 53, and Mavis Samuel, 40, had been charged with grand larceny and insurance fraud, and that Ebanks had allegedly collected more than $50,000 in insurance money after the fire. Authorities said the pair were behind a complicated mortgage fraud scheme involving two straw buyers and staged sales.