United States Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan announced today, November 14, 2008, that Brian Tray, a resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to 41 months of incarceration and five years of supervised release on his conviction of Conspiracy, Bank Fraud and Wire Fraud, all in connection with Mortgage Fraud.

United States District Judge Gary L. Lancaster imposed the sentence on Tray, age 52.

According to information presented to the court by Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway, Tray worked as a loan officer for, among other places, America's Mortgage Outlet and Single Source Mortgage. In connection with numerous loans, Tray submitted loan applications on behalf of borrowers that he knew contained false information related to the borrowers' income and financial condition. In addition, Tray submitted fraudulent documents to the lending institutions, including fraudulent Verifications of Employment, Verifications of Rent, and appraisals.

Ms. Buchanan commended the Mortgage Fraud Task Force for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Tray. The Mortgage Fraud Task Force is comprised of investigators from federal, state and local law enforcement agencies and others involved in the mortgage industry. Federal law enforcement agencies participating in the Mortgage Task Force include the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations; the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General; the United States Postal Inspection Service; and the United States Secret Service. Other Mortgage Fraud Task Force members include the Allegheny County Sheriff's Office; the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office, Bureau of Consumer Protection; the Pennsylvania Department of Banking; the Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Enforcement and Investigation; and the United States Trustee's Office.

Mortgage industry members with knowledge of fraudulent activity are encouraged to call the Mortgage Fraud Task Force at (412) 894-7550. Consumers are encouraged to report suspected mortgage fraud by calling the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Consumer Protection Hotline at (800) 441-2555.