Federal prosecutors in Texas say an alleged $7.3 million mortgage-fraud scheme had already cost the Federal Housing Administration more than $493,000 before any of the accused went to court. The Department of Housing and Urban Development has paid partial FHA insurance claims exceeding $493,499 on loans tied to the case, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas, which announced the indictment of four people on Sept. 21, 2026. The defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
What the $493,499 in FHA Claims Represents
The Justice Department announcement lays out two separate numbers. The larger one, about $7,339,699, is the total value of more than 20 home loans that prosecutors say were funded on the strength of fabricated income, employment and bank records. The smaller one, more than $493,499, is money HUD has already paid out in partial FHA insurance claims as a result of the alleged fraud.
The two figures measure different events. The loan total reflects what lenders advanced to borrowers who allegedly should not have qualified. The claim total reflects public money that has already left the FHA insurance system. Prosecutors do not describe the $493,499 as a final loss figure, and they do not say how many of the loans generated claims. The loans involved FHA, VA and conventional mortgages, and the claim amount is attributed specifically to FHA.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould framed the case around that public cost. His office, he said, will pursue anyone who deceives federal loan programs, “threatens the integrity of our housing system and harms American taxpayers who ultimately bear the cost of fraudulent schemes such as this.”
Paper trails matter after fraud. This case turned on forged W-2s and bank statements, and any household that spots an unfamiliar loan or account in its own name needs a clean record of what was found and whom it was reported to. A fraud evidence and report log and the free credit-freeze steps are part of The Senior Fraud Defense & First-Hour Recovery Kit.
How FHA Partial Claims Work
FHA mortgage insurance protects approved lenders when insured loans run into trouble. When a borrower falls behind, FHA gives mortgage servicers several tools to help the homeowner keep the house, and some of those tools draw directly on FHA funds.
One of them is the partial claim. Under FHA’s loss mitigation program, a standalone partial claim allows past-due mortgage amounts to be placed in an interest-free subordinate lien against the property. HUD says that amount does not have to be repaid until the last mortgage payment is made, the home is sold, the mortgage is assumed, the title is transferred or certain types of refinances occur, whichever happens first. Partial claims can also be combined with a loan modification or used in a payment supplement that temporarily lowers monthly payments for three years.
The Justice Department does not break down the payments behind the $493,499 figure or say which loss mitigation option each one involved. What the announcement does make clear is timing: the money was paid after the loans were funded, as borrowers who allegedly never qualified fell behind. That sequence is why investigators treat fabricated mortgage paperwork as a cost that can reach the federal insurance system years after closing, rather than a problem confined to a single lender.
The Alleged Scheme Behind the Claims
A federal grand jury returned the indictment on Sept. 16 against Shawna Randall, also known as Shawna Porter; Cleophus Turner; Julie Shoumbert; and Maurice Gardner. All four are charged with conspiracy to provide false statements to a mortgage lending business, and Randall and Turner each face three additional counts of fraud and false statements.
Prosecutors say that from June 2020 through November 2022, the group falsified income, employment and bank records so unqualified borrowers could obtain loans originated through Eustis Mortgage Corporation, doing business as Verity Mortgage. Randall, who worked for a real estate broker while her license was inactive, allegedly recruited borrowers and prepared fake W-2s, pay stubs, employment verifications and bank statements. Turner, a loan officer at Verity, allegedly submitted the documents knowing they were false. Shoumbert and Gardner allegedly produced falsified bank statements at Randall’s request. The indictment describes applications in Texas and Oklahoma.
Grant Permenter, special agent in charge for the HUD Office of Inspector General, said the defendants’ alleged actions “undermined the integrity of the FHA program and resulted in more than $7.3 million in fraudulently obtained loans.”
Forfeiture and Prison Terms Are on the Table
If convicted, Randall and Turner each face up to five years in federal prison on the conspiracy count and up to 30 years on each false-statement count, plus fines and mandatory forfeiture. Shoumbert and Gardner face up to five years, fines and forfeiture. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the inspector general offices of HUD, the VA and the Federal Housing Finance Agency.
An indictment is an allegation, not a finding of guilt. Whether any defendant is ultimately ordered to repay the FHA losses will depend on how the case is resolved in federal court.
Help for FHA Borrowers Who Fall Behind
The same partial-claim tools at issue in the case exist to protect honest homeowners, including retirees whose incomes have dropped or whose expenses have climbed. HUD urges borrowers facing a hardship to contact their mortgage servicer as soon as possible. Servicers can offer repayment plans, forbearance, loan modifications and partial claims, though HUD says borrowers generally can receive only one permanent home retention option within any 24-month period unless affected by a presidentially declared major disaster.
HUD-approved housing counseling agencies provide foreclosure prevention counseling free of charge, and the FHA Resource Center can be reached at 1-800-CALL-FHA (1-800-225-5342). Any partial claim a borrower receives becomes a lien on the home, which matters for older owners planning a sale, a refinance or an estate transfer.
Keeping Track When a Loan Record Looks Wrong
Mortgage files hold Social Security numbers, bank statements and employment details that can be difficult to reconstruct once something goes wrong. The costly gap for most families is not spotting a problem but documenting it in an order lenders, credit bureaus and investigators can follow.
The Senior Fraud Defense & First-Hour Recovery Kit includes a fraud evidence and report log, the first-hour recovery plan and the free credit-freeze steps, so each report and follow-up call is written down in one place.
Start the log with The Senior Fraud Defense & First-Hour Recovery Kit.
This article was prepared with AI assistance and reviewed against the linked official sources.
