Steven Mnuchin’s bank foreclosed on the home of man accused of mailing pipe bombs

Cesar Sayoc, the Florida man accused of mailing a series of pipe bombs to the homes of various public officials as well as the offices of CNN, lost his home in 2009 to a bank run by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.

Sayoc purchased his Fort Lauderdale home in 2006 and refinanced it in April 2007 by obtaining an adjustable-rate mortgage through IndyMac Bank, according to The Intercept.

According to reportedly back-dated documents, the bank foreclosed on the house in January 2009 and a few months later IndyMac was bought by a group of investors and was renamed OneWestBank. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin was OneWest’s principal owner and chair and it was a lawyer from OneWest who signed the paperwork to foreclose on Sayoc’s home. His house was auctioned off in November of that year.

Sayoc was arrested and accused of mailing pipe bombs to various addresses–largely to the homes of officials known for being critical of President Donald Trump–this week. One of the bomb recipients was George Soros, who was an investor in OneWest.

In 2012, Sayoc filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection, the Associated Press reported. He was absolved of his debts of about $21,000 in the same year.

In response to the attempted bombings, property managers across New York City are beefing up their building security. [The Intercept, AP]–Erin Hudson