John Hemphill, 39, was arrested last week and charged with mail fraud and falsely posing as a federal official.As JP indicated his office was located at 211 E. 79th. He is expected to be in court at the Dirksen Building downtown today for a detention hearing. Also, he had been taken into custody Thursday after selling a property that he didn't own at 8600 S. Stony Island to an undercover agent for $6,000.
Authorities alleged he filed fictitious deeds in counties around the Chicago area that purported to transfer properties he didn't own to United States Mortgage Release Corp. and other businesses of his.
Hemphill then told some would-be purchasers he held the properties as a "federal receiver," authorities said, and tried to sell them for cash even though they were really owned by others.
Investigators conservatively estimated that there were more than 100 victims in the case.
"We encourage anyone who bought or leased property from the defendant or his companies to contact U.S. postal inspectors on their hot line," said Randall Samborn, spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office in Chicago.
Samborn said anyone with information can call the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Fraud Complaint hot line at 800-372-8347 and press 8.
Not only did YoChicago pick up this story but also found this via EveryBlock.
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