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Phoenix Cops Face Mortgage Fraud Investigation

This story was reprinted from the KPHO website. These two cops deserve an AssClown award.

By Pat McReynolds
Reporter, KPHO.com

PHOENIX -- Phoenix Lieutenants Lee Brent Shaw and Mark Tallman are facing multiple investigations in connection with their involvement in a company called Better Choice Investments, a company that customers have claimed preys on people desperate to stay in their homes before scamming them out of the little money they have left.

Sheree Stevens rents a Scottsdale home with her two daughters. She says she lost her previous home and much more due to people she calls scum -- people with badges who she said should know better.

"I was drowning and I was just grabbing at anything to save my family," said Stevens.

Stevens said she and her husband Roy started a business that drug down their finances and caused them to get behind on their mortgage. She said It wasn't long before a company named Taken Care Of Investments called offering her help.

"They are very smooth talkers. They're salesmen," said Stevens.

She said the company offered her a deal known as a quit claim, where Taken Care Of Investments agreed to take care of her late payments, take over her deed, and allow her to buy back her home at any time for $15,000.

"We were trying to build a business and I was trying to save the house so we could have, basically, the American Dream," said Stevens.
At the end of her agreement, however, Stevens said she was slapped with trumped up fees and a bill $63,000 higher than the agreed upon price. When she refused to pay, Taken Care Of Investments, now working in conjunction with Better Choice Investments and Blue Islands LLC, threatened to seize her home.

"I was stuck and they did that on purpose. They dragged it out and did that on purpose," said Stevens.

Stevens is not alone in feeling scammed. This group of companies has been named in multiple lawsuits claiming fraud and misrepresentation, even "evil intent" to rip people from their homes and money.

According to legal documents and CBS5 sources, Two men with controlling interest in Better Choice Investments -- Phoenix Police Lts. Lee Brent Shaw and Mark Tallman.

"I was ashamed. I was embarrassed. I was furious. And to find out they were policemen, these are the people that are supposed to protect us, and this is what they do?" said Stevens.

Stevens said she paid the bill to try and save her house, but the following debt proved too much for her husband Roy, who killed himself last September.

"This created a lot of stress that he just couldn't deal with anymore, so you see how I feel guilty," said Stevens.

When Roy died, Stevens allowed the house to foreclose -- and on Christmas day -- the 43-year-old woman suffered a major heart attack. She said she blames herself for her loss, but doesn't want anyone else to fall victim to this deception.

"I literally have no empathy for those police officers. I really hope they go to jail and become somebody's girlfriend. Sorry," said Stevens.

Both Shaw and Tallman refused to comment to CBS 5 News. Sources close to the case who didn't want to be identified tell CBS 5 News the two officers are being investigated internally in the department and civilly by the Attorney General's office. As of Friday night, both officers are still on the force.

Full post as published by Bad Phoenix Cops on May 09, 2010 (boomark / email).