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Seattle couple arrested after stealing appraiser’s identity, preforming appraisals
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A Seattle area couple arrested in connection with a massive mortgage fraud scheme involving more than 400 fraudulent home appraisals faces serious prison time.
Douglas White and his girlfriend, Diana Merritt, were arrested last week after a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development investigation produced evidence that White stole the identity of his former employer, Tom Reed, a licensed real estate appraiser, and used his name to carry out more than 400 fake home appraisals from January 2009 to October 2012.
According to prosecutors, White carried out appraisals using Reed’s name, license number and electronic signature and charged up to $800 per appraisal. Reed, the founder of Washington Appraisal Reviews Inc. in Marysville, hired White as an apprentice in 2004, but White was twice unable to pass state licensing examinations. White stole Reed’s identity sometime in 2008 after he was laid off, prosecutors said.
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