Conversations With Larry Maxwell...About Mortgage Fraud

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Some days ago, I was privileged to peak at some transcript excerpts of police interrogations from the Larry Maxwell mortgage fraud investigation. Let me emphasize that...

...these are public documents, and there was nothing under-the-table about my examination. However, getting access to a case file during a trial can be very difficult, so I'm glad I knew somebody who knew somebody who had some copies of a few key documents.

Detective Cardenas was involved in interviewing both Larry Maxwell and Tyrone T. Williams, who assumed the identity of a "Donald T. Williams." Portions of interviews with Maxwell and Williams/Williams are found in the court file.

Here is an exchange that took place between Detective Cardenas and defendant Maxwell. Cardenas is asking the questions and Maxwell--who apparently fell asleep in high school civics when the 5th Amendment was covered--is giving the answers. The conversation starts right in the middle, as follows:

Q: On how you obtained. How you lived. And I’ll just—I’ll cut right to the core. You obtained some materialistically some very nice things. But the end doesn’t justify the means.

A: (Unintelligible)

Q: You’ve heard that saying, right? Is it fair to say after we built this relationship for three hours sitting here, is it fair to say that some of these indiscretions were probably illegal?

A: Um, I think you’ve said that yeah. And I…

Q: But the question is do you say that? You’ve had the conversation…

A: Based on our conversation right here um just straight up I…

Q: Yep.

A:…I got to say that I got to take the—the ball for that.

(After defendant Maxwell had repeatedly admitted to being “reckless” and to having “screwed up,” he confessed:

Q: (Det. Cardenas) I prefer the word actually (unintelligible). That’s where—if we want to decipher this, our language, because we are speaking the same language. Can you step up right now and tell me “Cory, I’ve done some illegal things here with there (sic) properties that I shouldn’t have done. And I’m sorry that I did it. And I’m not going to do it again. Because I messed up my life and I messed up other peoples’ lives.” Can you tell me that today?

A: That’s fair. I want to say it this way though. For my part—for my part um in going over this with you (unintelligible) illegally my participation in any of these deals um for my part I am sorry about that. I am. I am—just shouldn’t have—just shouldn’t have in hindsight just should have done something else. Um, and do intend to do something else and not get—get the chance to do it. I’m not skirting it. I’m probably having a hard time speaking and talking to you because there’s so many (unintelligible) but…

Q: It’s hard to say illegal activity.

A: I said it. And I’ll say it again. For my part in any—any illegal activity.

Q: Regarding…

A: (Unintelligible)

Q: Regarding the mortgages with Tanya Patterson, (J.F)?

A: Yes (Unintelligible) illegal activity regarding um any of the people that you have spoken (unintelligible).
…
In a different interview, Defendant larry Maxwell’s (alleged) co-conspirator Tyrone Tyson Williams explained how Maxwell (his realtor) attended real-estate closings where Williams fraudulently purchased and financed properties in two different names, including his fictional persona of “Donald Williams.”

Q: (Det Cardenas) You see what I’m saying? As far as Larry (Maxwell) is concerned. That argument is thrown out the window. Let me ask you this. Was Larry at the closings with you?

A: Yeah. Always.

Q: When you closed as Donald Williams?

A: Always.

Q: Was he—were there when you closed as Tyrone Williams? Yes?

A: Yeah. Always.

Q: Okay. That answers the question right there.

A: (Unintelligible)

Q: You’re looking at the same man.

A: Yeah.

Indeed, it was defendant Maxwell who arranged for Williams to receive eight to ten thousand dollars back when he purchased a house through Maxwell. Here is how Williams explained it.

Q: (Det Cardenas) For you to get 10 thousand dollars as a buyer…

A: (Williams) This—this—see this—this is the deal, I mean and I ain’t seen nothing wrong with say hey you buy this house you can get 8 to 10 grand back. Cool.

Q: How—okay how so? Did he explain why?

A: No, I didn’t ask. (Unintelligle) 8 to 10 grand back. Would you like to see this house? Yeah (unintelligible) get that house. I get the house. I go and pick a house. I never really go inside the house but, you know, when---when you get the house and you look at it and say shit man I got to pay (unintelligible) for that just (unintelligible) you know and I called him. Sometime he may give me—help me pay half of it or something of the problem. But—but nah he never, you know say here thank you. Good luck or nothing. Nah he (unintelligible).

Q: And by your admission, knowing that Larry Maxwell doesn’t have any money, didn’t you find that to be a little suspicious? Because you said he bounced checks like a baseball.

A: Not suspicious. I just thought that what he—what he was doing is that’s how he made his money like people live week—check by check. He lived ah---ah house by house. That’s how he’d get his money.

Another portion of the Williams interview is as follows:

Q: You know when you sign your name that really isn’t you physically you. The HUD statements, closing documents and you are receiving money from Larry Maxwell, real estate agent, regarding these deals on properties that are being—no matter how you cut it the houses were fraudulently purchased because of—listen.

A: That’s correct. You’re right but…

Q: Okay.

A. …but—but when I sign my name—he took the business sign my name it was (unintelligible) other than to cash a check—to cash checks I didn’t know what—like I keep telling you man over and over I didn’t know if he’s going—what he was—what his intentions were going to do with it. Because no I—I don’t know about funneling the money and doing this with me. He never came to me like that.

Q: Why couldn’t he write a check to Tyrone Williams? You can cash that at your own bank.

A: You know why? Because I—because (unintelligible) if I’m (unintelligible) I really don’t wan (sic) them guys to be connected. Why would I want that? See—see how—how hard it was for you to find me?

(It should be noted Tyrone T. Williams has already pled guilty. But Larry Maxwell is "putting the state to its burden of proof" which, in this case, for some citizens of Hennepin county involves more than a month of grueling jury duty. Yet one gets the sense the raid by the mortgage fraud foxes on the North Minneapolis chicken coop has only JUST been discovered, and the actual number of sucked eggs and decapitated fowl is nowhere near being reckoned up.