A former NASA employee and her husband are accused of running a mortgage loan scheme that involved fraudulent financing and refinancing. Noreen Khan,50, and Christopher Mayberry,51, surrendered to federal authorities and are set to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Yvonne Ho.
The indictment, issued on December 12, charges them with conspiring to make false statements to mortgage loan businesses.
The alleged scheme started in 2016 when the Missouri City couple, who were employed by NASA at the time, took out substantial personal loans to buy their luxury home. However, they quickly defaulted on those loans. The charges claim that they tried to get rid of debts by portraying themselves as identity theft victims. Khan reportedly filed a false police report and submitted a bogus report to the Federal Trade Commission. She also sent letters to credit bureaus to remove the loans from her credit history.
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As part of the scam, the couple supposedly signed three separate loan agreements with mortgage lenders between 2017 and 2021. During the loan application process, they provided false employment information and fabricated documents, including fake pay stubs, tax forms, and account statements, to the lenders.
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If convicted, they could face up to five years in federal prison, a potential maximum fine of $250,000, and the possible forfeiture of their luxury home.
The investigation was conducted by NASA’s Office of Inspector General-Office of Investigations, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Winter prosecuted the case.
It’s imperative to note that an indictment is an accusation, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty through due process of law.
