FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 21, 2007

Bevel Real Estate Gang Indicted for Mortgage Fraud
30 People Indicted, 51 Houses

32 Houses Currently in Tax or Mortgage Foreclosure or Tax Delinquent

CLEVELAND- Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Bill Mason announced the indictments of 30 people for mortgage fraud involving 51 houses in Bedford, Cleveland, Cleveland Heights, East Cleveland, Garfield Heights, Maple Heights, Shaker Heights, South Euclid, and Warrensville Heights. Six people, including the Bevel family, were indicted on RICO charges. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, a member of the Mortgage Fraud/Predatory Lending Task Force, conducted the investigations with the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office.

Prosecutor Mason made prosecution of mortgage fraud a priority in 2007. “Mortgage fraud is a big factor in this recession we’re experiencing in the real estate market,” said Prosecutor Bill Mason.

In 2007, 16 cases of mortgage fraud were indicted, including today’s case. These cases total 171 defendants and have resulted in over approximately $41.5 million in fraudulent loans for 256 properties, located in 17 communities: Bedford City, Brook Park, Brooklyn, Cleveland, Cleveland Hts, East Cleveland, Euclid, Garfield Heights, Maple Heights, North Royalton, Oakwood Village, Pepper Pike, Shaker Heights, Solon, South Euclid, University Heights, and Warrensville Heights. In addition, a full-time Mortgage Fraud/Predatory Lending Task Force was set up in Cuyahoga County.

Otis Bevel, a real estate broker, his family, and several others were in the business of fraudulently purchasing homes. They ordered, picked up and passed on false or fictitious loan documents to title companies to submit to lenders so that a customer would purchase real estate which they were not qualified to purchase.

Otis Bevel, 47, of Cleveland, was indicted on 37 counts; his wife, Elizabeth “Anita” Bevel, 48, of Cleveland, was indicted on 7 counts; his sister, Sarah Bevel-Jones, 45, of Cleveland, was indicted on 15 counts; Leighton Antonio, 41, of Garfield Heights, who worked for Bevel, was indicted on 20 counts, and Cozetta Martin, 53, of Solon, was indicted on 7 counts. All counts involve theft-related offenses, including Engaging in a Pattern of Corrupt Activity, commonly known as RICO, a first degree felony. William Harris, 48, of Franklinton, NC, was indicted on 3 counts of theft-related offenses for his role in Bevel’s gang. There were other people in addition to Bevel who ordered fictitious documents to close, process, or make real estate purchases. These people are currently under investigation.

Leland S. Levert, 44, of Cleveland, who fabricated documents, was indicted on 13 counts of theft-related offenses, including Engaging in a Pattern of Corrupt Activity, commonly known as RICO, a first degree felony.

Today’s indictment is part of a larger enterprise involving more than 60 million dollars in fraudulent loans by various people and more than 500 pieces of real estate.

Several persons were customers of Bevel and purchased real estate using false or fictitious loan documents created by one or both of the Levert brothers. They, along with Bevel’s gang, purchased 51 houses in Cuyahoga County and furthered Bevel’s enterprise. Currently, 40 of the houses are in mortgage foreclosure (14), tax foreclosure (2), or are tax delinquent (24).

These following persons were indicted for theft-related offenses, including Engaging in a Pattern of Corrupt Activity, commonly known as RICO, a first degree felony:

Catare Allen, 30, of Bedford Heights            Jason Barbee, 31, of Bedford Heights

T’Andre Buchman, 34, of Cleveland              Arna Fuller, 39, of Shaker Heights

Richard Paul, 27, of Hudson                        Marlon Wells, 32, of Cleveland

LaShawn Slade, 37, of Cleveland                  Larry Wade, 33, of Cleveland

Jermaine Thomas, 34, of Cleveland              Clarence Marshall, 47, of Cleveland

Terry Barrow, 31, of Cleveland                      Larry Robinson, 41, of Cleveland

Yolanda Pearce-Thompson, 37, of Cleveland 

The following persons were indicted for theft-related offenses:

Michael Payton, 48, of Cleveland                  Bridgett Lewis, 40, of Cleveland

Kasan Jackson, 39, of Cleveland                  Ruel Salmon, 44, of Garfield Heights

Tracy Emerson, 37, of Maple Heights           Michelle O’Neal, 37, of Youngstown  

Gary Williams, 33, of Cleveland                    Melanie Allen, 34, of Knoxville, Tennessee

Towanda Brown, 34, Cleveland                     Janice Young, 47, of Glenwillow

Case Number: 504794

Below is the listing of the houses and their fraudulent loan amounts, property value and status: