Suspended N. Miami mayor guilty of mortgage fraud

Author: Associated Press
Published: Updated:

MIAMI (AP) – A federal jury has convicted the suspended mayor of North Miami on charges of participating in an $11 million mortgage fraud scheme.

Jurors returned the verdict Tuesday in the case against Lucie Tondreau following a two-week trial. She faces up to 30 years in prison for conspiracy and wire fraud convictions at sentencing March 20.

Prosecutors say Tondreau and others conspired before she became mayor to defraud lenders using straw buyers, who obtained inflated loans for 20 properties. The scheme allegedly involved recruiting buyers through a radio program catering to Haitian-American listeners.

Tondreau’s business partner, Karl Oreste, previously pleaded guilty.

Tondreau in June became North Miami’s first female Haitian-American mayor, but the charges led to her suspension by Gov. Rick Scott. A new mayor, Smith Joseph, has since been elected.

Copyright ©2024 Fort Myers Broadcasting. All rights reserved.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without prior written consent.