Florida attorney charged in mortgage fraud case

Attorney and title agent Kimberly S. Daise, 48, has been charged by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida with participating in a mortgage scheme. Daise is accused of inflating real estate prices on mortgage documents sent to lenders and pocketing the proceeds. Authorities claim Daise, an attorney out of Miami, received $500,000 in fraudulent proceeds from two properties in Wellington, Fla. The Department of Justice alleges Daise submitted false documentation to mortgage lenders who issued large loans. Specifically, authorities allege Daise created two sets of HUD-1 settlement statements. One set had the real price for the seller, while the other set, which was sent to the lender, included an inflated loan price. The Florida State Bar has no record of Daise being flagged for disciplinary action, but that report does not include pending actions. Daise is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit fraud and wire fraud, and faces up 30 years in prison. Write to Kerri Panchuk.