Until recently, a $700,000 house in Solon was seen as a sign of success for a homeowner. But yesterday afternoon, Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Bill Mason used such a pricey property to declare his success in shutting down another case of alleged mortgage fraud. Another four cases, actually. Michael Jackson has been a member of Mason's housing fraud team for the past year, and he says the east side suburb has become prime pickings for hucksters looking to make a quick buck in the housing market.
Michael Jackson: Unfortunately for Solon, they have a substantial number of other situations that we are investigating. The numbers are, I think, staggering.
Jackson estimates there are between 35 and 50 questionable houses in Solon alone. According to numbers from the County, yesterday's indictments add up to over two and a half million dollars in fraudulent loans. And that makes for a total of over eight million dollars in questionable loans prosecuted in the past year. David C. Barnett, 90.3.