Thursday, April 9, 2009

Larry Maxwell Mortgage Fraud Trial: The Apparent Identity Of The Fake "J.F." Plus A Peak Inside 1564 Hillside Ave. N.





Photos By Council Member Don
Samuels

(NOTE: This blog post has been substantively updated to reflect the fact "Kenny Wilson" may not have been the name muttered by Defense Attorney Larry Reed in what one local lawyer called his "Minnesota adjusted Southern Drawl." Read addition at bottom) 

First of all, let me say this: prior to yesterday, I didn't know the name "Kenny Wilson" from "Adam In The Garden of Eden."

However, while watching the Larry Maxwell trial, one thing became clear in regard to the name of the person who stole the identity of "J.F." (as investigators call him) and bought 1564 Hillside Ave. N., pictured above, over and over.

Either nobody in the trial actually knew who this guy was or...

...they were going out of their way to avoid saying his name, instead saying "The fake (J.F.)." And why, I wondered, was THAT exactly?

But, at one point in the proceedings, while cross examining prosecution witness Glen Miller, defense attorney Larry Reed seemed to let the name slip in a sort of aside--a kind of winding up to his question--something about when "Kenny Wilson" was impersonating this J.F.

My ears got all pointy and I quickly typed the name into my laptop. I remember feeling a sort of disappointment: some in the Jordan neighborhood were theorizing the fake J.F. might be none other than Jerry Moore, but instead I was stuck with the name of this unknown person: Kenny Wilson. Well, the truth is the truth: that's the name that (apparently) came from the lips of defense attorney Larry Reed. I figured during a break I'd call a source in the Jordan Neighborhood and ask who was this Kenny Wilson.

I ended up texting the info. Soon enough, the call came back:

KENNY Wilson? That would apparently be KENNETH Wilson. Who was he? During the time Ben Myers was the Chair of the Jordan Area Community Council, at some point KENNETH Wilson was functioning as the "safety coordinator." He was, said my source, a "buddy of Jerry Moore." (The former executive director, fired by the "New Majority" JACC Board in the recent Jordan Neighborhood controversies and upheavals)

Well...suddenly I could differentiate the name "Kenny Wilson" from "Adam In The Garden of Eden." Why, Kenny/Kenneth was a "Safety Coordinator" for the Jordan Neighborhood, hard hit by mortgage fraud. (Kenneth or anybody who knows Kenneth is free to come here and add further info, including a defense or denial of Wilson's alleged actions in regard to 1564 Hillside Ave N.)

And another interesting tidbit was introduced into court, though this was on Monday: two documents entered into evidence included information that Jerry Moore had received a $5,000 "referral fee" for the house at 1564 Hillside Avenue North, pictured above. According to both the documents, the money came from the SELLER'S side. This seller would be, of course, Keith Reitman, who is currently a member of the JACC Board and aligned with the "New Majority." One source says Reitman has verbally confirmed having at least one conversation with the FBI over the matter of 1564 Hillside Ave. N.

These photos show the condition of 1564 Hillside Ave. N. when it was sold for around $189,000. (The exact figure from the fraudulent sale to the fake J.F. is not listed in online city or county records at this time) The photos were taken by City Council Member Don Samuels, who provided the photos to a number of people, including one person who forwarded the photos to me. (So the images didn't come DIRECTLY from Samuels, but Samuels gets the photo credit)

Nothing that can't be fixed by a little paint and new shag carpet. (Sarcasm font is broken, notifying the reader manually)

ADDITIONAL INFO: It has come to my attention the fake J.F. is apparently an individual called "Jerome L. Kingrussel." In his odd little verbal aside, Larry Reed may have said "Kingrussel" instead of "Kenny Wilson" with his rather interesting and difficult-to-decipher "Minnesota adjusted sourthern accent" which must surely be a nightmare at times for court reporters.

The fact there may actually BE a Kenny or Kenneth Wilson closely associated with issues in North Minneapolis is just one of life's little mysteries. Consider this post a correction, made in as timely a way as possible as soon as the matter came to my attention. And see, also, New York Times v. Sullivan.

However, to my dying day I will swear the name which seemed to come from the lips of Larry Reed sounded much, much more like "Kenny Wilson" than "Kingrussell"

10 comments:

Jordan Neighbor said...

Keith Reitman was not always aligned with the new majority... for a long time he was aligned with the old majority... in other words.. he just aligns himself with whoever is the MAJORITY.. he's a slick character.

Ken/Kenneth/Kenny Wilson was hired by Jerry Moore, worked for many months, maybe more than a year... and did NOTHING. Nothing. Nadda.

As a matter of fact, it is my strong suspicion that while he was getting paid a full time wage from JACC, I don't think he ever stopped his employment at the St Paul YMCA where he worked before JACC.

Who has connections that can find out Ken Wilson's employment end date at the St Paul Y-dub? I know JNS readers can do it!

Anonymous said...

Oh yes - I remember now that this house is just a few doors down from Councilman Samuels

oZ said...

Off-topic, but did you notice Mr. Flowers announced he will be challenging Mayor Rybak this year?

Anonymous said...

I find it interesting that Keith Reitman sold a house to someone that he 98% likely he knew to be Ken Wilson, but he still sat down at a closing table and signed off on documents with a stolen identity of J.F.

And then he cut Jerry a check for $5000.

Keith owns lots and lots and lots of property on the northside. I hope some investigator somewhere is back tracking all the sales of Reitman properties in the past several years.

Jeff Skrenes said...

I wouldn't put too much stock on the seller of 1564 Hillside knowingly conspiring to pay the fraudulent actors here...

In every single mortgage transactions, folks get numbers thrown at them left, right, and center. I've seen buyers who paid over $13,000 in closing fees on a $200,000 deal (which is way over legal limits) and they'd had no clue how they were getting bilked because a slick character either slipped the numbers past them in a blur of paperwork or outright lied.

I can see the closing in my mortgage geeky mind's eye: "And here is the final water bill we're closing out, and title fees; over there is the seller-paid closing costs, realtor fees, and the fee to JM Consulting, leaving you with your net gain of x amount." The seller's eyes are glazed over at this point (like many JNS readers when I get my geek on) and he'll sign just about anything.

Of course I could be wrong about this, but I've seen too many deals where the buyer and seller were the victims of the Maxwells and other bad actors.

Anonymous said...

Mortgage Geek, you may be right about alot of sellers, the number's, fee's, line items, documents all become a blur.

However this is Keith Reitman. He is very experienced at real estate deals. He has been buying and selling properties for who knows how long. He has probably participated in a hundred closing transactions. He is so frugal and wise of every single penny his properties cost and generate, that I can promise you he did not get glazed over and have some slick numbers buzzed in front of him unknowingly.

Wasn't it right around Sept Oct and Nov 2005 that Jerry Moore rented a campaign office from Keith Reitman, for the Johnson-Lee campaign on the corner of Penn/Broadway.

Jerry and Keith are very familiar with each other.

Anonymous said...

Off topic inquiry (possible interesting future blog?) - Where does Al Flowers plan to base his campaign out of??? (In other words: where does that 'candidate' live? North Minneapolis???)

Truth Seeker said...

To anon@ 347pm

Al's home address is 5800 Knox Ave S.

This is also the address listed on his campaign website which is www.truthtothepeople.org

that is Truth to the People.

I can't wait to hear more truth about Al Flowers.

Anonymous said...

About 1564 Hillside - I am curious as to how/what the truth is housing certificate stated at the time of sale - probablly just another document forged by the seller's/listing agent etc.

Anonymous said...

If Al Flower's address is is 5800 Knox Ave S., then he lied at the JACC press conference!