The Information charges Charles Evans was “an approved attorney for Mississippi Valley Title, authorized to provide title opinions and prepare certificates for title for MVT, which MVT used and relied upon in order to issue title insurance polices..” The government charges Chris Evans is the registered agent for the companies used to perpetuate the alleged criminal acts.
The Bill of Information alleges the Evans brothers initiated their scheme in January 2003 until October 2009 in Madison County and later Desoto County, the Mississippi Gulf Coast, and Texas “in order to pay down debt held by their company Gulf States Publishing and to enrich themselves, Charles and Chris Evans devised a plan to fraudulently secure mortgage proceeds from financial institutions by misrepresenting to such financial institutions the legal descriptions, title and lien history, and ownership of real estate the Defendants intended to purchase. ”
JJ reviewed numerous deeds of trust and estimated the exposure by banks was nearly $75 million ($37 million in Madison, approximately $10 million in Desoto, approximately $27 million in Texas. Most of the Texas banks have been able to foreclose on the properties as the multiple loans were not issued on Texas properties as they were in Mississippi.). The government claims the brothers used the proceeds of the loans to buy more land, make mortgage payments on the outstanding loans, and enrich themselves.
Jackson Jambalaya
12/20/10
Magnolia Tribune
