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1098 NE 95 St (5)Mortgage-firm clerk charged with theft 41'ERAk_p b'7 A $14,000 -a -year escrow clerk for a Dade mortgage company has been charged with grand theft in the alleged embezzlement of $56.- 000 in federal funds, Metro -Dade police said Friday. Othniel Eugene' Blake, 23, of 1098 NE 95th St., Miami Shores, was arrested in a continuing investigation by investigators from the Economic Crime Unit, police said. Police allege that Blake used his job as a clerk with Southeast Mortgage Co. for personal profit. Black was responsible for billing the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for feder- al subsidy money for low- income mortgage holders, investigators Mortgage clerk stole $1.5 million by bilking U.S. agency, police say JOHN FERNANDEZ Miami News Reporter A Miami mortgage clerk has been arrested in con - nection with an "elaborate scheme" in which he al- legedly bilked the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) out of $1.5 million over two years — the second alleged public housing ripoff uncovered here in as many weeks, according to Met- ro police. Othniel Eugene Blake, .23, of Miami Shores, was arrested by detectives with the police Economic Crime Unit and charged with first- degree grand theft, said detective Gordon Angus. Blake, an escrow clerk with Southeast Mortgage Co., a subsidiary of Miami -based Southeast Bank, al- legedly "over - billed" HUD for federal subsidies to low- income mortgages, Angus said. HUD pays a por- tion of the mortgages for low- income, single - family households. Blake allegedly took the amount overcharged to HUD and funneled the money to local bank accounts in his name, Angus said. Blake credited HUD with the mortgage payments but the money never was put in- to HUD accounts, Angus said. Police have thus far recovered $56,000 of $1.5 mil -. lion Blake allegedly stole, Angus said. Police have confiscated Blake's house at 1098 N.E. 95th St., two cars and other property allegedly paid for with stolen funds. Blake, who was arrested on May 28, had earned $14,000 a year at Southeast, Angus said. An auditor for Southeast Bank tipped off police three weeks ago after he noticed Blake dispatch a courier on two trips in one day to a Southeast Bank branch, Angus said. It is unusual for a courier for Southeast Mortgage to make more than one such trip, he said. "He probably wouldn't have been caught if it weren't for the bank auditor," Angus said. N P'914b said.• Police say that Blake used a complicated scheme to inflate Southeast Mortgage's bill to HUD, then converted the extra money to money orders that were deposited in his personal bank account. Blake, who was arrested May 28 and is free on bond, was not home Friday night at his listed address. No one seemed be 'inside the residence, a palatial, two -story home that is surrounded by a high stone wall. A two -story addition to the home has recently been under way. According to real estate records, the four - bedroom, four - bath home was sold to a Eugene E. Blake for $375,000 in April 1985. Neighbors said Friday evening that they knew little of the home's occupants. The inquiry has shown that approximately $1.5 million was missing, and investigators have located about $600,000 in assets, police said. Authorities made pub- lic no other details Friday. The Toss was discovered through an internal investigation at South- east Mortgage, 2500 NW 79th' Ave., according to police. The investigation began after a Southeast Bank auditor noticed that a courier had made two trips to the bank one day instead of the custumary one, police said. The auditor's inquiry was conducted in cooperation with Southeast Mort- gage Co. By AL MESSERSCHMIDT Herald Staff Writer A $14,000 -a -year mortgage company clerk bought a Mercedes -Benz and an elaborate Miami Shores home with money stolen from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, according to charges filed in Circuit Court. Othniel Eugene Blake, 23, had been charged last week with embezzling $56,000 in federal funds while working for Southeast Mortgage Co. At a bond hearing Thursday, prosecutor Fred Kerstein said investigators have now pointed $1.5 million in missing funds and assets. Kerstein charged Blake with 29 counts of grand , theft. If convicted, Blake could be sentenced to 435 years in prison. Prosecutors say Othniel Blake bought this Miami Shores home with embezzled money. Clerk allegedly skimmed $1.5 million Kerstein asked Circuit Judge Thomas Car- ney to increase Blake's bond from $3,000 to $250,000. Defense attorney Raphael Steinhardt said Blake "has nothing left" after his arrest. "A huge bond wouldn't be in the interests of justice." Blake, of 1098 NE 95th St., surrendered the $50,000 Mercedes, moved from the Miami Shores home and has helped state investigators who are searching for the missing money, Steinhardt said. "We're cooperating 1,000 percent," he said. Blake's bank accounts have been frozen, Steinhardt said. "If this man wanted to flee, he would have fled when the assets were liquid." Blake pleaded not guilty to the charges and waived a. jury trial. He is scheduled for trial Aug. 18. The embezzlement scheme began in mid - 1984, according to the charges. Blake, a clerk at the mortgage company, was responsible for billing HUD for reimbursement of subsidy money for low- income mortgage holders. Blake allegedly inflated the amounts due from HUD, skimmed the money and deposited it in a stock account and at two Miami banks. In July 1985, Blake bought the four -bed- room, four -bath Miami Shores home for $375,000. The home has a $170,000 mortgage. Steinhardt said the home is now worth more than $500,000 because Blake ordered improvements, including a Jacuzzi and a two -story addition. Blake deeded the house to the Circuit Court clerk's office Thursday as part of the $35,000 bond. AL DIAZ / Miami Herald Staff "�Hetinr SU ORLANDO — With 1,700 teachers, guid- ance counselors, coaches and eager college graduates here to scout for jobs in schools, Dade County is using the hard sell. Working 12 -hour shifts at cluttered confer- ence tables, 18 Dade recruiters interviewed applicants Thursday at a teachers' job fair. Downstairs, 18 slide projectors beamed a glowing panorama of Calle Ocho street festivals, Coconut Grove art shows, the Miami Grand Prix, Biscayne Bay sailing, balloon rides Suarez urges disclosure law for city By JUSTIN GILLIS Herald Staff Writer Miami Mayor Xavier Suarez said Thursday he would sponsor a tough new law requiring city commissioners to disclose their net worth, their debts and other important financial information. Three of the five city commis- sioners said Thursday they were disposed to vote favorably on such a proposal, and another said he would consider it. That means if Suarez can satisfy some minor concerns, the plan is almost cer- tain to pass. The mayor's plan would force city commissioners to disclose the same extensive financial informa- tion that state law now requires of state and county officials, county commissioners, mayors, tax collec- tors and certain other officials. Suarez acknowledged Thursday that he decided to propose strengthening disclosure require -' ments after reading a report in The Miami Herald about Mary Foote, a North Miami Beach councilwoman who was caught lying on disclosure forms she had \filed with the city. Foote had filed fake reports 1 1] IIL_ 1 47R to 4: Z a m tctrrraf'TAied "If you're lookin live, good quality o system, we have i assistant superinte prospective teache "I rode in one on one of those jet I go to the Cub enjoy the restaur too." The three -day for an exciting place to life, a very strong school Terence Garner, Dade's ent for personnel, told 60 after the slide show. those balloons. I'm going kis two weeks from today. area, Little Havana, and ts. I like the Haitian food, 177 le'r1Tnvr ers to the Wyndham Hotel ballroom to court applicants. Most of the applicants are from hard - pressed Farm Belt towns. One came from Alaska. Dade's recruiting team is the largest, and in the next few weeks, Garner hopes to hire 400 to 500 of the candidates. Many of the districts interview applicants for half an hour and make decisions in the onvention, called the Great Please turn to TEACHERS / 2C Pereira on tra By CELIA W. DUGGER Herald Staff Writer Every year for nine years, Dade have spent more and more transportation. They got a batter_ an underused rail line. Next year, the ever - growing tra will grow no more, said County Pereira. In 1978, local taxpayers spec public transportation. By this yeas soared to $90.6 million. But in fiscal 1987, if the Metro along with Pereira's recommend Dade Transportation Administratic its 500 buses, 21 -mile rail system Metromover with $1 million less th "We can't be all things to all p Friends, far mourn 2 r slain after c Clerk allegedly skimmed $1.5 million - 2C The Miami Herald / Friday. June 20, 1986 F -2 Prosecutors say Othniel Blake bought this Miami Shores home with embezzled money. By AL MESSERSCHMIDT • Herald Staff Writer A $14,000 -a -year mortgage company clerk bought a Mercedes•Benz and an elaborate Miami Shores home with money stolen from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, according to charges filed in Circuit Court. Othniel Eugene Blake, 23, had been charged last week with embezzling $56,000 in federal funds while working for Southeast Mortgage Co. At a bond hearing Thursday, prosecutor Fred Kerstein said investigators have now pinpointed $1.5 million in missing funds and assets. Kerstein charged Blake with 29 counts of grand theft. If convicted, Blake could be sentenced to 435 years in prison. Kerstein asked Circuit Judge Thomas Car- ney to increase Blake's bond from $3,000 to $250,000. Defense attorney Raphael Steinhardt said Blake "has nothing left" after his arrest. "A huge bond wouldn't be in the interests of justice." Blake, of 1098 NE 95th St., surrendered the $50,000 Mercedes, moved from the Miami Shores home and has helped state investigators who are searching for the missing money, Steinhardt said. "We're cooperating 1,000 percent," he said. Blake's bank accounts have been frozen, Steinhardt said. "If this man wanted to flee, he would have fled when the assets were liquid." Blake pleaded not guilty to the charges and waived a jury trial. He is scheduled for trial Aug. 18. AL DIAZ / Mlaml Herald Staff The embezzlement scheme began in mid - 1984, according to the charges. Blake, a clerk at the mortgage company, was responsible for billing HUD for reimbursement of subsidy money for low - income mortgage holders. Blake allegedly inflated the amounts due from HUD, skimmed the money and deposited it in a stock account and at two Miami • banks. In July 1985, Blake bought the four -bed- room, four -bath Miami Shores home for $375,000. The home has a $170,000 mortgage. Steinhardt said the home is now worth more than $500,000 because Blake ordered improvements, including a Jacuzzi and a two -story addition. Blake deeded the house to the Circuit Court clerk's office Thursday as part of the $35,000 bond. -2C The Miami Herald / Friday. June 20, 19Sti F-2 Prosecutors say Othniel Blake bought this Miami Shores home with embezzled money. AL DIAZ / Miami Herald Staff Clerk allegedly skimmed $1.5 million By AL MESSERSCHMIDT • Herald Staff writer A $14,000 -a -year mortgage company clerk bought a Mercedes -Benz and an elaborate Miami Shores home with money stolen from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, according to charges filed in Circuit Court. Othniel Eugene Blake, 23, had been charged last week with embezzling $56,000 in federal funds while working for Southeast Mortgage Co. At a bond hearing Thursday, prosecutor Fred Kerstein said investigators have now pinpointed $1.5 million in missing funds and assets. Kerstein charged Blake with 29 counts of grand theft. If convicted, Blake could be sentenced to 435 years in prison. Kerstein asked Circuit Judge Thomas Car- ney to increase Blake's bond from $3,000 to $250,000. Defense attorney Raphael Steinhardt said Blake "has nothing left" after his arrest. "A huge bond wouldn't be in the interests of justice." Blake, of 1098 NE 95th St., surrendered the $50,000 Mercedes, moved from the Miami Shores home and has helped state investigators who are searching for the missing money, Steinhardt said. "We're cooperating 1,000 percent," he said. Blake's bank accounts have been frozen, Steinhardt said. "If this man wanted to flee, he would have fled when the assets were liquid." Blake pleaded not guilty to the charges and waived a jury trial. He is scheduled for trial Aug. 18. The embezzlement scheme began in - mid - 1984, according to the charges. Blake, a clerk at the mortgage company, was responsible for billing HUD for reimbursement of subsidy money for low- income mortgage holders. Blake allegedly inflated the amounts due from HUD, skimmed the money and deposited it in a stock account and at two Miami banks. In July 1985, Blake bought the four -bed- room, four -bath Miami Shores home for $375,000. The home has a $170,000 mortgage. Steinhardt said the home is now worth more than $500,000 because Blake ordered improvements, including a Jacuzzi and a two -story addition. Blake deeded the house to the Circuit Court clerk's office Thursday as part of the $35,000 bond. i STUART A. COHEN, ATTORNEY SCALE StRVEY DATE JOB NO. N. E. 95 77 4 /3 E 94 r" i / ST. LOCAT /OM SKETCH � N. T• S.) i PSCE:II'TION Lot 1, "KIPBY' S AD[)TION TO MIAMI S1V RES" according to tne 1,1 :1 t tilerPOf recorded in Plat Rook 41 [',.t•.n.• 44 of the Pub i is rtecc,r of Dade Codnty, Florida. PROPERTY ADDRESS 1098 N. E. 95 Street Miami Shores, FL' SURVEYOR'S CERTIFICATE I, ROBERT T. BOGLE, hereby certify that I hew made a recent survey of the abase described property as indicated, and that thou are no abowyround encroachments exam er shown. I further certify that the survey repraeented hereon is true and cortaet and this it meats the requirements of the Florida Society of Protemisnel Lend Surveyors and tits Florida Land Tide Aseodation. 1" = 30' April 3, 1985 ft 4IS Uw LAND SURVEYOR wo TMt e*., sertitiN, t0WPIOIM K. OM T. SS AI .71 4 %cams wwe.1. poop es 2g • AJTY e.e.s. 4 s 2-STY C.B.S. RES. 1 . : l T. 1 ma' °' /2 Q.7. /Ids TA L s" O N sew c k P. 2 9' 0.4 a $ 8 • SURVEY MR: ATTORNEYS TITLE INSURANCE AT LAW b BLAKE, OTHNIEL E • 1 0 N ` 3I / "w.ciB 7 E - 0%804 w.oe t ° I 9 0 /34, 16' ti , ; f . • • PNOA $ r fNQ. PoDa 13 4. 4o h IA N - -- --- gfi cv N ?.t.