Sacramento, California - Hubert Rotteveel, 52, of Dixon, was sentenced Tuesday by Senior United States District William B. Shubb to three years and four months in prison for one count of mail fraud, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced.
In September 2014, Rotteveel was found guilty by a federal jury of one count of mail fraud relating to 13 properties in Dixon. According to evidence produced at trial, Rotteveel acted as a real estate salesperson for the 13 properties, with over $7 million in loans authorized for just two buyers in seven months. He inflated the values of the properties and worked with loan officers to provide false information to lenders about the income and liabilities of the buyers to induce the lenders to fund loans for the properties. Rotteveel surreptitiously made the down payments on the homes, instead of the buyers, and got that money (and usually more) back from the lenders at closing. For most of the transactions, when the sales closed, the escrow officer distributed funds to a bank account in the name of Windmill Properties, a company owned by Rotteveel, without disclosing these payments to the lenders. All 13 properties were used as rentals, with Rotteveel collecting the rents through Windmill Properties. He netted over $300,000 through the sales in just seven months, and the lenders lost more than $3 million when all 13 properties underwent foreclosure.
U.S. Attorney Wagner stated: “Hubert Rotteveel used his knowledge of the real estate market in Dixon to defraud lenders of over $7 million, resulting in losses of over $3 million after each of the homes went into default and a foreclosure sale was held. Today’s sentence is one step in the continuing effort to hold real estate professionals responsible for their role in the mortgage meltdown.”
“This prosecution should serve as a warning to those who abuse their position of trust,” said Thomas McMahon, Acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS-Criminal Investigation. “Mr. Rotteveel manipulated the MLS listings for properties, failed to disclose his true role in the transactions and made numerous misrepresentations to lenders. Although this sentence cannot reverse the damage caused by Mr. Rotteveel, it highlights the ongoing commitment of IRS-CI to hold accountable those involved in these types of crimes.”
This case was the product of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service—Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Jean M. Hobler and Justin L. Lee prosecuted the case.
