"Attorney General Bill McCollum today announced that a
former vice president of a subsidiary of one of the nation’s largest
subprime lenders has been sentenced to 18 years in prison for his
involvement in a mortgage fraud scheme that spanned more than two years
and involved loans in Hillsborough, Lee, Pinellas and Polk counties.

Orson Benn, former vice president of Argent Mortgage Company, was part of an
elaborate mortgage fraud scheme that involved co-defendant Scott Almeida
and multiple co-defendants. The three-year investigation began when victims filed complaints about
incomplete or substandard construction work being performed by
construction companies affiliated with Almeida. Almeida and his associates
secured mortgages for homeowners to finance the home repair projects by
submitting fraudulent documents to Argent Mortgage Company.

Benn, as vice president of Argent, approved or oversaw the approval of the fraudulent
loan applications. Investigators followed the trail of fraudulent
applications back to the organized criminal operation which submitted
nearly 130 loans to Argent that were funded for approximately $13 million.

After the initial investigation of Benn’s activities, the investigation
was expanded to include additional targets that were actively engaged in
fraud with Benn. Benn was ultimately charged with racketeering, conspiracy
to commit racketeering, and grand theft and must serve 12 years of
probation after his prison sentence has been completed. Co-defendants
Frank Giffone and Adrienne White have pleaded guilty to similar charges
and will be sentenced later.  Co-defendant Bradford Peck pleaded
guilty and has already been sentenced to eight years in prison. Samuel
Green, a fourth co-defendant, was convicted by a jury in August and will
be sentenced in October. Almeida pleaded guilty in October 2007 and will
serve 10 years in prison."