January 17, 2024
TRENTON, N.J. – The deputy mayor of Willingboro Township, New Jersey, and one of his business associates were charged with conducting a scheme to discharge the deputy mayor’s mortgage obligation on his property through a fraudulent short sale, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Nathaniel Anderson, 56, a town councilman and the deputy mayor of Willingboro in Burlington County, New Jersey, and his business associate Chrisone D. Anderson, 56, of Sicklerville, New Jersey, are charged by complaint with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud affecting a financial institution, one count of bank fraud, and two counts of making false statements on a loan application. Additionally, Chrisone D. Anderson is charged with two counts of making false statements to a federal agent. Nathaniel Anderson and Chrisone D. Anderson made their initial appearances today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Tonianne J. Bongiovanni in Trenton federal court and were released on $50,000 each unsecured bond.
According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court:
From March 2015 through June 2017, Nathaniel Anderson and Chrisone D. Anderson conspired and agreed with one another to orchestrate a fraudulent short sale of a property in Willingboro from Nathaniel Anderson to Chrisone D. Anderson.
As part of the conspiracy to defraud a government sponsored enterprise to discharge a mortgage obligation on Nathaniel Anderson’s property in Willingboro and to induce a mortgage lending business to issue a new mortgage on the property, Chrisone D. Anderson executed – and Nathaniel D. Anderson aided and abetted the execution of – mortgage documents containing materially false representations. These included that the short sale was an arm’s length transaction, that Chrisone D. Anderson did not have a prior business relationship with Nathaniel Anderson, that Nathaniel Anderson would not continue to occupy the property as his residence following the short sale, and that Chrisone D. Anderson would occupy the property as her primary residence.
As a result of the fraudulent short sale, the government sponsored enterprise discharged Nathaniel Anderson’s mortgage obligation and suffered a loss of over $120,000, and the victim lender issued a new mortgage on the property. During a May 2022 interview, Chrisone D. Anderson made false statements to an agent of the FBI concerning the short sale.
The charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud affecting a financial institution, bank fraud, and making false statements on a loan application are each punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison and a maximum fine of up to $1 million. The charges of making false statements to a federal agent are each punishable by a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a maximum fine of up to $250,000.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, Newark Division, Trenton Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark; and special agents of the Northeast Region of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Robert Manchak, with the investigation leading to the charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander E. Ramey of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Trenton, working in conjunction with the Special Prosecutions Division in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
24-020
Defense counsel:Nathaniel Anderson: Daniel M. Rosenberg Esq., Mount Holly, New Jersey
Chrisone D. Anderson: Troy A. Archie Esq., Cinnaminson, New Jersey