After effects of mortgage fraud in Thornbury and Preserve Solon

Thornbury and Preserve of Solon Ohio

It dates back to September 2007, when Cuyahoga County prosecutor, Bill Mason’s office did a press release about four morgage fraud cases in Solon.   These cases involved the following Solon properties:

1. 35895 Sedge Circle in Preserve Subdivision, Solon
2. 6749 Winston Lane in Thornbury Subdivision, Solon
3. 35532 Nightshade Lane in Preserve Subdivision, Solon
4. 38710 Flanders Drive in Thornbury Subdivision, Solon

Recently, Thornbury subdivision residents spoke in support of the proposed Rental Occupancy Permit before Solon’s Planning Commission.  The residents cited their observations and experiences with 38710 Flanders Drive before the commission. 

As a background for 38710 Flanders Drive, Bill Mason’s press release states that,

Ogbonnaya Edeh, 49, of Cleveland, fraudulently obtained an $850,000 loan from New Century Mortgage Company for 38710 Flanders Drive.  He never made a down payment, never saw the inside of the house before the purchase, and never lived in it.  Edeh was employed as a local cab driver, but he falsely stated he made $150,000 as a structural engineer for Classic Tango Engineering, and Phillip Taylor, the owner of that company, falsely verified Edeh’s employment and income.  Edeh received $31,000 for this scam.  Brian Chenoweth, president of Widdershin One, Inc., and Ike Osuji, a middle man, who posed as a buyer, were also indicted for their involvement in this scheme.  Edeh was a “straw buyer” in this scheme that involved other individuals, including Stephen Holman and Jeffrey Brown of Buckeye Lending, Inc. After Edeh purchased this house, Holman and Brown leased the home to a tenant, who signed the lease with Brown’s company, Marketing Land and Concrete, LLC.  That tenant made rent payments that were intended to pay the new mortgage and these payments counted toward buying the home.  However, the tenant he lost his $6,000 initial down payment and $22,600 in lease payments before realizing it was a scam.  Neither Brown nor Holman used these payments to pay the mortgage obligation to New Century.  Each defendant was indicted on several theft and forgery related charges, which range in prison time from one to five years.  The house is now in foreclosure.

Cuyahoga County Auditor’s records indicate that this property is in the name of Ogbonnaya Edeh and the taxes are being paid.  The residents indicated that according to two Solon Police Department officers this property may have been used as a meth lab.  Automobiles with license plates from several states including New Mexico were observed at this property.  Loading and unloading of large plastic containers was observed by the residents.  The residents felt that this 5 bedroom, 3 bathroom, 4900 square feet, 3 garage residential property was being used by four individual groups as a “hotel”.  Thornbury subdivision is zoned as R-1-D (Single Family, 1 Acre).