Mortgage broker admits to scam

Bill Gang

Tuesday, March 9, 1999 | 11:26 a.m.

A Las Vegas mortgage broker has admitted in court that in an effort to help customers qualify for home loans, she arranged to have their cars stolen.

Clementina Mendoza, 48, pleaded guilty Monday to attempting to submit a false claim for insurance as part of a plea bargain that likely will let her avoid a felony conviction.

The former employee of Executive Mortgage Co., 7251 W. Lake Mead Blvd., has admitted that she helped customers file stolen vehicle reports with Metro Police and with the auto insurance companies.

The customers, according to court documents, had been unable to secure home mortgages because they had too many auto loans. When the cars disappeared and the insurance paid off, the customers could then qualify for the loans and Mendoza would get her commissions.

Although Mendoza was indicted on only one count involving an undercover officer from the Nevada Attorney General's Office, there were as many as 10 other cases of auto thefts under investigation.

As part of the deal, Mendoza agreed to talk with Metro auto-theft officers about the stolen cars to determine the restitution she must pay, according to her attorney, Martin Hastings.

The plea bargain requires prosecutors to recommend that District Judge Jeff Sobel treat the crime as a gross misdemeanor. The maximum punishment would be a year in the county jail and a $2,000 fine, although probation is expected for Mendoza.

The deal dictates that if Mendoza is given probation because of the May 1998 incident, she must complete community service and pay a $1,500 fine.