Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster has announced that DOCX, LLC — a key mortgage document processing firm at the center of the foreclosure “robo-signing” crisis — and its founder have been charged in sweeping felony indictments that accuse them of forgery and making false declarations related to mortgage documents.
The 136-count indictment accuses the company of submitting dozens of mortgage documents for recording that were improperly signed and notarized. All of the questionable documents bore the signature of the same company employee but were allegedly signed by others.
“The grand jury indictment alleges that mass-produced, fraudulent signatures on notarized real estate documents constitutes forgery,” Koster said. “The indictment reflects our firm conviction that when you sign your name to a legal document, it matters.”
Atlanta, Georgia-based DOCX and founder Lorraine Brown each face 68 forgery and 68 false declaration charges. If convicted, Brown could face up to 476 years in prison and the company could suffer more than $800,000 in fines.
This is the second significant criminal case — and the first against a senior corporate executive — to come out of the “robo-signing” crisis. Late last year the Nevada Attorney General indicted several Notaries and two supervisors of Lender Processing Services Inc. for running a massive “robo-signing” scheme. As a result of continuing investigations into fraudulent document practices and notarizations, many companies have begun to re-evaluate their internal document-processing practices and implement training for theirNotary employees and supervisors.