HOUSTON – A Fort Bend couple, formerly employed by NASA, are charged with orchestrating a fraudulent financing and refinancing mortgage loan scheme.
On Wednesday, U.S. Attorney Alamdar Hamdani revealed that a Federal Grand Jury indicted the Missouri City husband and wife on Dec. 12, 2023. Noreen Khan, also known as Noreen Khan-Mayberry, 50, and Christopher Mayberry, 51, surrendered to federal authorities Wednesday morning.
According to the indictment, returned Dec. 12, both are charged with one count of conspiracy to make false statements to mortgage loan businesses.
Beginning in 2016, Mayberry and Khan, while still employed at NASA, allegedly took out significant personal loans to fund the purchase of their luxury home before quickly defaulting on those loans.
According to the charges, the couple allegedly attempted to eliminate and dispute the debts, claiming to be victims of identity theft.
Khan is accused of filing a false police report, submitting a false report to the Federal Trade Commission, and sending letters to the credit bureaus to remove the loans from her credit.
As part of the scheme, the couple allegedly signed three separate loan agreements with mortgage lenders related to their home financing from 2017 to 2021.
As part of the loan application process, the couple is accused of providing false employment information and fake documents to lenders, which included pay stubs, tax forms, and account statements, according to the charges. If convicted, they face up to five years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine in addition to the possible forfeiture of their luxury home.
NASA’s Office of Inspector General-Office of Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Winter is prosecuting the case.