Three individuals have been indicted on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud affecting a financial institution and conspiracy to submit false statements to a federally insured financial institution, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Texas announced today.
The defendants, identified as Nicole Espinosa, also known as Short Sale Queen, 35, of Plano; Stephanie Smith, also known as Stephanie Parks, 44, of Midlothian; and Selena Baltazar-Hill, 28, of Dallas, have been arrested and are scheduled to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Aileen Goldman Durrett on Dec. 4, 2024, the department said.
Beginning in 2017, Espinosa, Smith, and Baltazar, along with others, allegedly operated a mortgage fraud scheme through various companies, including Short Sale Queen, L.L.C., according to the department.
The defendants targeted properties in the pre-foreclosure short sale process, researching and identifying such properties before approaching homeowners about listing them for sale, the department said.