Wentzville Woman Sentenced in $250,000 Credit Scam

Marien Brown, 42, of Wentzvile, also known as Marien White, was sentenced to 18 months in prison, and ordered to pay approximately $250,000 restitution for falsely representing that she operated a "mortgage rescue" or "foreclosure rescue" service. A press release from the US Attorney's office today explained how Brown scammed 80 homeowners in Hawaii out of $250,000.

According to court documents, Brown owned and operated both 1st Financial Resource, LLC, (First Financial) and 1st Federal Resource, LLC, (First Federal), from September 2008 to March 2009. She registered the business at 1939 Wentzville Parkway, Suite 178, Wentzville, Missouri, which is actually a which provides commercial mailbox services. 

Brown actually conducted the business from her residence on Ivy Brook Court in Wentzville.          

Brown researched and identified groups of homeowners in the state of Hawaii that were one or more mortgage payments behind, or were in imminent risk of home foreclosure. She then sent out a large number of unsolicited mailings to prospective clients representing that she operated a “mortgage rescue” or foreclosure rescue” service. 

More than eighty clients responded to her mailings and wired funds to First Financial and to First Federal. Brown converted these funds to her own use. None of the client funds were ever sent to lenders.          

Clients quickly realized that their funds had not been sent to their lenders, and that no new mortgage rates had been negotiated. When they called their mortgage holders, they were advised that they had no knowledge of, and no relationship with, First Federal or Marien Brown.

Clients then attempted to reach Marien Brown and repeatedly left messages for her. The only way clients were able to get her to return calls was to leave a message expressing a desire to wire her additional funds.

Brown pled guilty in September to three felony counts of wire fraud, and appeared today for sentencing before United States District Judge Rodney W. Sippel.          

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Postal Inspection Service. Assistant United States Attorney Howard J. Marcus handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.