Mission real estate agent indicted on four counts of wire fraud

A Mission real estate agent has been indicted on four wire fraud charges by forging signatures on documents and transferring titles on his business.

Sergio Efrain Zamora Jr., 45, made an appearance in McAllen federal court Wednesday on four wire fraud charges for manufacturing false and fraudulent records purporting to reflect the sale of certain properties, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas.

On or around June 7, 2023, Zamora “devised a scheme where he’d fraudulently obtain loan proceeds through fictional sales of real properties,” the indictment said, noting further that other people were helping Zamora create fraudulent records.

Zamora’s victims included family, friends and the true owners of real properties who were unaware of the purported sale of the properties and didn’t consent to or authorize sale of their respective properties.

Zamora would obtain loans from several lenders seemingly to finance the purchase of properties by utilizing falsified sale documents, according to the indictment.

“He allegedly profited illegally by using the proceeds to pay off debts and, in some cases, by receiving funds directly from the fraudulent closings,” the release said.

The indictment states that those debts were unrelated and personal, therefore defrauding the real owner of the properties and lenders by misappropriating the loan funds for himself.

Zamora is alleged to have caused a total loss of $655,000 to the victims and the title company.

If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison with a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

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