Queens real estate attorney pleads guilty to $23M mortgage fraud scheme

Real estate attorney Cheddi Goberdhan of Queens has pleaded guilty to a scheme in which he defrauded banks out of more than $23 million in home mortgage loans, U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara announced. In a seven-count indictment in Manhattan Federal Court yesterday, Goberdhan was charged with conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud, and six counts of bank fraud, in which he made hundreds of thousands of dollars in illegal profits by working with corrupt officers of GuyAmerican Funding, a mortgage brokerage in Jamaica, Queens. “Instead of serving as the gatekeeper whom the banks relied upon to prevent fraud, [Goberdhan] abused his position of trust to line his own pockets,” Bharara said. “We will continue working with our law enforcement partners to prosecute those who commit mortgage fraud and jeopardize the stability of our financial institutions.” Goberdhan, 57, is the ninth defendant convicted of participating in this fraud scheme. He faces a maximum sentence of 210 years in prison and will also be required to pay restitution to the victims of his offense and to forfeit the proceeds of his crimes. He is scheduled to be sentenced in April. TRD