Willingboro Township Deputy Mayor and Business Associate Face Mortgage Fraud Charges

Alleged Scheme Involving Fraudulent Short Sale Results in Federal Charges for Local Political Figure and Associate

MORRISTOWN, NJ – Nathaniel Anderson, the deputy mayor of Willingboro Township, and his business associate Chrisone D. Anderson, have been charged with orchestrating a mortgage fraud scheme involving a fraudulent short sale. U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced the charges, which include conspiracy to commit wire fraud, bank fraud, and making false statements on a loan application.

From March 2015 through June 2017, the pair allegedly conspired to conduct a fraudulent short sale of Nathaniel Anderson's property in Willingboro to Chrisone D. Anderson. This scheme aimed to discharge Nathaniel Anderson’s mortgage obligation fraudulently and induce a new mortgage from a lending business. Documents in the case revealed false representations in mortgage documents, including misleading claims about the nature of the sale and the ongoing occupancy of the property.

The fraudulent short sale led to a loss of over $120,000 for the government-sponsored enterprise involved and the issuance of a new mortgage by a victim lender. Additionally, Chrisone D. Anderson faces charges of making false statements to a federal agent during a May 2022 FBI interview.

Each count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, bank fraud, and making false statements on a loan application carries a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million. The charges of making false statements to a federal agent can result in up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

The investigation, leading to these charges, was conducted by the FBI's Newark Division, Trenton Resident Agency, and the Federal Housing Finance Agency's Office of the Inspector General, Northeast Region. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander E. Ramey of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Trenton is representing the government, in conjunction with the Special Prosecutions Division in Newark.

Both defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The case highlights ongoing federal efforts to combat financial fraud and the significant implications such actions have for public trust in local government officials.