New Jersey Deputy Mayor Charged in Mortgage Fraud Scheme

The deputy mayor of a Philadelphia suburb has been charged with a fraudulent short sale scheme.

Willingboro Township, New Jersey, Deputy Mayor Nathaniel Anderson and business associate Chrisone Anderson were charged 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 for both individualis, the U.S. Attorney’s office said in a press release. 

Additionally, Chrisone D. Anderson faces two counts of making false statements to a federal agent.

The charges stem from a period between March 2015 and June 2017 when Nathaniel Anderson and Chrisone D. Anderson allegedly conspired to execute a fraudulent short sale of a property in Willingboro. 

Anderson sought to discharge his mortgage obligation and secure a new mortgage on the property through false representations. 

The mortgage documents contained misleading information. They claimed that the short sale was an arm’s length transaction, denied a prior business relationship between the two, and asserted that the mayor would not continue to reside in the property post-sale while Chrisone D. Anderson would make it her primary residence.

As a consequence of the deceptive short sale, a government-sponsored enterprise suffered a loss exceeding $120,000, and the victim lender issued a new mortgage on the property. During a May 2022 interview, Chrisone D. Anderson allegedly provided false statements to an FBI agent regarding the short sale.

Each count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud affecting a financial institution, bank fraud, and making false statements on a loan application carry a maximum of 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million. Making false statements to a federal agent could lead to a maximum of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

Both Nathaniel Anderson and Chrisone D. Anderson made their initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Tonianne J. Bongiovanni in Trenton federal court and were both released on $50,000 unsecured bonds.