Ohio AG indicts man accused of defrauding elderly victim in real estate fraud

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In the following press release To view links in this forum your post count must be 10 or greater. Your post count is 0 momentarily.and the Franklin County Prosecutor’s office have secured the indictment of Christian Lambright for defrauding an 81 year old Columbus resident. Lambright’s indictment by the Franklin County Grand Jury on felony counts of Theft, Securing Writings by Deception, and Money Laundering follows a three week investigation by the Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission mortgage fraud task force.

Attorney General Dann, who heads the Commission, said Lambright faces enhanced penalties on the felony charges because the victim of the alleged crimes is a senior citizen. The Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office will prosecute the case.

According to Mr. Dann, Lambright was associated with two mortgage broker agencies: Randall Mortgage at 555 Metro Place in Dublin and Hartford Financial at 645 Metro Place South, Suite 100, Dublin, Ohio 43017. Randall Mortgage went out of business in May 2007. Hartford Financial was opened by several employees from Randall Mortgage after its closing.

The victim in this case and her family had discussed refinancing her home with Lambright, who said he was a loan officer for a local mortgage broker. Instead of preparing refinancing paperwork, it is alleged that Lambright concocted a scheme to have the property transferred into the name of his own mother. It is also alleged that Lambright stole money from the closing proceeds.

Investigators say Lambright picked the victim up at her home in late June without her family’s knowledge. Authorities say he then took the woman, who had recently been released from the hospital, was on medication, and could not walk without a walker, to a local fast-food restaurant where he arranged for the paperwork to be signed.

The victim’s family contacted the Consumer Protection Section of the Ohio Attorney General’s Office when they learned of the fraud and were then referred them to the Economic Crime Unit of the Columbus Division of Police.

Authorities report that Christian Lambright previously had a real estate license and a mortgage broker loan officer license; however, he was not licensed to conduct real estate or mortgage loan business at the time of this offense.

This indictment is a part of the continuing crackdown on mortgage fraud by the Ohio Attorney General’s Office in conjunction with local law enforcement authorities and county prosecutor’s offices.


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