TRENTON - Attorney General Peter C. Harvey announced that the Division of Criminal Justice - Major Financial Crimes Bureau has obtained a State Grand Jury indictment charging a Bergen County attorney and two others with conspiring to steal more than $198,000 as part of a Hudson County mortgage fraud.

According to Vaughn L. McKoy, Director, Division of Criminal Justice, Marnin Rand, 45, Lenox Drive, Fair Lawn, Bergen County, Jeffrey Riedl, Esq., 56, Park Avenue, Midland Park, Bergen County, and Dwayne Baskerville, 45, Fremont Street, Jersey City, Hudson County, were charged by the Division of Criminal Justice with conspiracy and theft by deception (2nd degree). If convicted, each of the defendants faces up to 20 years in state prison and a fine of up to $300,000.

The indictment alleges that, between Feb. 1 and Dec. 7, 1999, Rand acquired two Jersey City foreclosure properties - 190 Arlington Ave. and 91A Arlington Ave - from a Hudson County Sheriff's sale. The indictment charged that Baskerville provided copies of two Treasurer's checks to Delta Funding in support of mortgage applications to buy the properties. The indictment alleges that Baskerville claimed the down payment monies were provided by his mother as a gift. Delta Funding subsequently approved the mortgage financing based on the treasurer checks and information provided by Baskerville -- $110,400 for the 190 Arlington Ave. property and $88,000 for the 91A Arlington Ave. property.

An investigation by the Division of Criminal Justice determined that Riedl improperly used checks from his Attorney Trust Account to finance the purchase of the two properties. The checks, made out to Marnin Rand in the amount of $23,604 and $28,220, were dated Dec. 2 and cashed the next day. Coincidentally, the two Treasurer checks were made out for the same amount of money and were payable to Baskerville. The checks were subsequently deposited back into Riedl's Attorney Trust Account and the copies were provided to Delta Funding.

The closings for both properties occurred at Riedl's law office on Dec. 7. Reidl acted as the attorney for both Baskerville and Rand. While the closing documents reflect the source of Baskerville's down payments as a gift from his mother, the investigation determined that the source of the funds originated from Riedl's Attorney Trust Account.

State Investigator David Nolan and Deputy Attorney Patrick Flor were assigned to the investigation. DAG Flor represented the Division of Criminal Justice before the State Grand Jury. Division of Consumer Affairs (DCA) Supervising Investigator Jennifer Micco assisted in the investigation. The DCA referred the investigation to the Division of Criminal Justice and assisted in the case.

An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendants are presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty in a court of law.

# # #