Three New Yorkers plead guilty to Atlantic City straw-buying scheme

Three New York City residents pleaded guilty yesterday to a million-dollar mortgage fraud scheme surrounding seven residential properties in Atlantic City, N.J. The defendants, Steven Boswell, 60, of Flushing, Queens and Tula Rampersaud and her husband, Sudesh, both 31 and from Hollis, Queens, face a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and fines of up to $1 million for their conspiracy to obtain mortgage loans as straw buyers for Jong Shin, 50, of Bayside, Queens. Tula Rampersaud is a former colleague of Shin’s and was promised $5,000 in return for allowing her name and credit information to be used in property purchases at inflated prices between December and June 2006. Boswell is Shin’s ex-husband and was promised $3,000 for playing a similar role in the fraud. Shin was indicted last month for a conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering. Her case is pending. TRD