‘What he did was trick her’: A son grapples with a reverse mortgage scam targeting his mother

CHICAGO (CBS) — A West Garfield Park gentleman has lived in his dwelling for virtually six many years. Now he is experiencing getting rid of the area he is called dwelling for just about his whole lifetime.

The purpose? Reverse mortgage fraud. CBS 2’s Suzanne Le Mignot experienced the tale Thursday night that you are going to see Only on 2.

“What he did was trick her,” stated Tyrone Christopher.

Christopher is conversing about Mark Diamond, a male accused for far more than two decades of getting unsuspecting seniors on the South Side and the West Side to indicator paperwork involving reverse home loan strategies. 

The seniors thought they would be finding rehab work completed on their homes and acquire a rehab personal loan.

“They were intended to do the rest room and the roof,” Christopher said. “They failed to have to do the roof, since it was a new roof!”

Christopher explained his late mother, Ida Mae Christopher, was a single of Diamond’s victims. Prosecutors mentioned Diamond and his co-schemers pocketed the loan proceeds.

“Mark lied to her. Wasn’t no dollars. No funds got paid out out at all,” Christopher said.

Christopher mentioned his mom had dementia when she signed the reverse home finance loan files in 2014. Because her loss of life in 2015, he’s been dealing with a mountain of paperwork and fighting to keep the property.

 It’s in foreclosure. He’s expects to be served with an eviction see when he goes to court docket on Monday.

“It can be gut wrenching you know. Wow,” Christopher mentioned. “Took all the air out of me.”

In 1964, Tyrone Christopher moved into this dwelling. It really is the only home that he’s at any time acknowledged he instructed CBS 2. At the age of 10, he stated he planted a tree that is now taller than the dwelling and reaching for the sky. Juliet Sorensen understands firsthand what Diamond’s victim’s have gone as a result of.

“The U.S. Lawyers Business office has determined far more than 130 victims in this situation and there are probably more,” she mentioned.

Sorensen is a professor in Northwestern’s Bluhm Lawful Clinic. She is not associated in Christopher’s situation, but has represented 45 of Diamond’s victims.

“The victims in this case, had been exceedingly susceptible. In fact, that is specifically why they were preyed upon in the initial put,” Sorensen reported.

At the age of 67, Christopher claimed he is now faced with leaving the only dwelling he is acknowledged given that childhood.

“I you should not know where I am likely. I never know in which I am heading,” Christopher said.

All individuals accused in the reverse property finance loan schemes, like Mark Diamond, are predicted to plead guilty.