Mortgage Fraudster Marlon Pratt...Looking Not So Slick And Confident In Prison

Mug shot therefore in the public domain,

Blog post by John Hoff

I actually met Marlon Pratt, once. He was hanging around the Larry Maxwell trial which involved the mortgage fraud at 1564 Hillside Ave. N. At the time, he came off as a real slick character. He still retained some vestige of an aura of confidence, but it was wearing thin and showing holes. I imagine that outside of a courtroom where he watched Larry Maxwell getting chewed up by Hennepin County Prosecutor Brad Johnson, Marlon Pratt probably exuded the kind of personality which allowed him to pull off fraudulent deals with Universal Mortgage.

But as Pratt watched attorney Larry Reed struggling to defend Larry Maxwell, Pratt didn't seem very confident. The look on his face seemed to say...

..."This is going very badly for Larry Maxwell. And, oh my god, I'm next."

Well, here's where the scammers end up. Here's a mugshot to show what Marlon Pratt looks like in prison. He's currently incarcerated in Fairibault, Minnesota and won't be getting out until 2016.

Today is the Primary! Get Out and Vote!

Post by the Hawthorne Hawkman. First image from the Inside Minnesota Politics blog. Second photo from the Brad Johnson for Anoka County Attorney Facebook page. Third photo from the Mark Ireland for Ramsey County Judge website.

Today is Minnesota's primary elections, which have been moved up to a rather early date this year. Don't let that pass you by. Get out and vote!

Here's where you can find your polling place. Be sure to check this site as polling places don't always remain the same from one election to the next.

Now, you're probably wondering why on a north Minneapolis blog, we're promoting Ramsey County and Anoka County elections. I'm glad you asked, because...

...Brad Johnson was the prosecutor in the Larry "Maximum" Maxwell trial, and he's tirelessly committed to going after mortgage fraud. If there's another round of such financial crimes that impact NoMi, and the perpetrator also committed those acts in Anoka County (like Larry Maxwell), then this is the guy you want as the prosecuting attorney.

Mark Ireland helped the Hawthorne Neighborhood Council in its landmark lawsuit against Citimortgage, and has been instrumental in other developments surrounding housing litigation. He's intelligent, even-handed, and full of integrity. He's the kind of person you want as a judge in Ramsey County.

If you live in Ramsey or Anoka counties, please vote for Mark Ireland or Brad Johnson. If you know voters in either place, tell them to vote for these guys. For attorney and judge primary elections, those handfuls of votes could be what decides the outcome.

So get out and vote!

$217K Restitution Ordered In Larry "Maximum" Maxwell Mortgage Fraud Case...

Stock photo and blog post by John Hoff

Larry "Maximum" Maxwell, who sits behind bars over the fraudulent sale of 1564 Hillside Ave. N., (a transaction in which slumlord Keith Reitman was the seller) was the subject of extensive coverage on this blog during his trial and sentencing, click here for an example.

Recently, I was provided a copy of the restitution order in that case, which orders $217,687.54 in damages, click here for a PDF copy. However, the order DENIES a sizable amount of other damages, including enormous amounts of uncompensated time spent by John's wife--Melony Michaels--to investigate the fraud perpetrated on her husband and bring the perpetrators to justice. With much respect to the judge, I think this was a close legal call and unfortunately the judge came down on the wrong side of that restitution. I hope the Hennepin County Attorney appeals this matter and John Foster (and wife) GET ALL THE RESTITUTION THEY ARE ENTITLED TO GET.

As for the individuals who were involved in the 1564 Hillside Ave. N. transaction--(they know who they are)--the angels of justice hover closer every day, so close you can feel their breath and hear their wingbeats. It must be a gut-wrenching feeling, knowing you've done wrong and not only is God watching, but so is the blogosphere.

Susan Newell Sentencing: Many Minor Children, A Cry of Anguish, Filled Up Seats...

Contributed photo, blog post by John Hoff

I received some bits and pieces of information from the Susan Newell sentencing. Newell was involved in mortgage fraud, some of which happened in North Minneapolis. The sentencing has already been reported elsewhere, click here.

Newell's first trial resulted in a mistrial, so Hennepin County Prosecutor Brad Johnson got in there and took care of business, bringing home the long-awaited conviction. Johnson is currently running for Anoka County Attorney, click here.

According to what I was told about the sentencing by an observer, sheriff's deputies were there and keeping people out because it was...

...already full inside. The people inside appeared to be mostly Newell family and supporters, some of which apparently came from her church. There was an odd air of confidence in these spectators, and some loose talk about how maybe the sentence wouldn't be too bad at all. Why, maybe she'd even get probation and no prison time at all! But, instead, Newell got three years. She will likely serve two years in prison, and then parole for a year after.

It was about 3:45 p.m. when the court room emptied and there was much crying and hugging in the hallway. An individual who appeared to be a defense attorney spoke to an individual presumed to be a family member, saying something like, "The letter you wrote helped, really."

Suddenly there was a cry from an anguished voice--it came from either inside the courtroom, or the elevator on the other side of the court room. A male voice said, "I CAN'T DO THIS ON MY OWN!" The tone was a tone of despair. Who emitted the cry is unknown, but one would assume it was a close family member.

The prosecutor in this case asked for 122 months, which is a bit more than ten years. What the government had asked for was "a guidelines sentence for a severity level 9 offense," which would have been consistent with other mortgage fraud cases in Hennepin County, like Larry Maxwell, click here. Instead, the government got a guideline sentence for a Level 6, lower than what the government asked for.

Newell is currently 40 years old and will go away until she is 42, then on parole until 43. If she reoffends before the Year of Our Lord 2020, it's on His Honor Judge Tom Sipkins. Hennepin County asked for more. Let these words endure until at least 2020, if somebody has need to quote them. (It should be noted the judge was Sipkins, but the courtroom was that of Judge Janish, pronounced Yan-ish)

This case was reportedly one of Judge Sipkins' first criminal cases, and in this instance the defendant was a mother with 10 children (you read that right) at least five of which are under 18. The children were in the court room during the trial, almost every day according to one source.

(For the record--and most of my friends are likely to disagree--I do not find this manipulative practice of using children as a legal "human shield" to be at all objectionable. It is my position that nothing should be thicker than family blood. Simultaneously, I believe Newell should have gone away for 10 years and, for the record, I'm sure all that mortgage fraud money bought many unearned goodies for that extremely large brood of offspring. I hope there's enough fraudulent money squirreled away somewhere to pay for a vasectomy)

Newell's husband is a fire fighter in Minneapolis. One way to look at Newell's sentence is like this: she will miss a total of ten years of her children's lives.

In an incredibly odd footnote of arcane trivia: Susan Newell shares her name with that of the last woman hanged in Scotland, click here.

(Blogging from near Disney World, Florida)

Susan Newell Mortgage Fraud Sentencing Monday, April 26, 2:30 PM, Room 927

Photo and blog post by John Hoff, truck was not running when this image was taken as trucker texting is now forbidden by DOT

Word reaches me while I am on the road trucking of a sentencing hearing in the Susan Newell mortgage fraud matter, previously reported on this blog, click here and also here. The Judge in this matter is Judge Janish, (pronounced YAN-ish) and the hearing will be in Room 957, Monday, April 26, at 2:30. I'm very hopeful somebody affiliated with Johnny Northside Dot Com will manage to get notes on that hearing and I've been sending messages around. You know who you are.

Newell is the case which previously ended in a mistrial until Hennepin County Prosecutor Brad Johnson came in and cleaned up. Johnson is running for Anoka County Attorney, see previous story on this blog, and was recently the subject of coverage in the Star Tribune, click here. In contrast, Johnson's opponent is a sort of desk jockey, not somebody who constantly puts criminals in prison for a long, long time.

I guess while Johnson's "in the rear with the gear" opponent is shaking everybody's hands on Monday, Brad Johnson will be getting his hands dirty doing the actual job of a prosecutor, like his spectacular victory over Larry "Maximum" Maxwell. This was apparently the longest racketeering sentence EVER in a Minnesota State Court. (If anybody has contrary info, I'm still waiting to receive it)

Needless to say, I think folks in Anoka county deserve a prosecutor not a politician. But what does Susan Newell deserve? I guess the judge will tell us on Monday. I can hardly wait to find out.

(Blogging from Frankfort, KY. Do not click "Read More.")

JNS BLOG EXCLUSIVE: Brad Johnson--Who Prosecuted Larry "Maximum" Maxwell--Running For Anoka County Attorney

Photos from the Facebook page of Brad Johnson, blog post by John Hoff

Information floating around as rumor, pieced together with information from Facebook, and verified with a reliable source positively confirm the following: Brad Johnson is running for Anoka County attorney. No other major media outlet has reported this story, but rumor has it the Star Tribune is currently chasing it.

Johnson is the prosecutor who...


...took down Larry "Maximum" Maxwell for mortgage fraud, a matter reported extensively on this blog.

Click here for Part One.

Click here for Part Two.

Click here for Part Three.

Click here for Part Four.

Click here for a report about the "max of the max" sentence imposed.

Click here for Maxwell waiting to learn his fate, including last photo known to exist of Maxwell as a free man.

Click here for the story of Maxwell's defense attorney--Larry Reed--playing last, desperate cards.

Click here for "Maxwell's butt on the line" as jury hears closing arguments.

Reverend Jerry MacAfee expected to take stand, click here.

Excerpts from transcripts about the mortgage fraud deals, click here.

Prosecution rebuttal witness sinks Maxwell, click here.

Identity theft imposter revealed as Jerome Kingrussel, click here.

Prosecution presses forward, Larry Maxwell doomed, click here.

Things not adding up for a lackluster defense, click here.

And, finally, my personal favorite...a PDF file of the Larry Maxwell criminal complaint, in which especially astute readers might find a familiar name from the Jordan Neighborhood.

So far as I can tell, Larry Maxwell was the biggest state court conviction for racketeering EVER in the state of Minnesota. (If anybody has contrary information, please share it)

Brad Johnson also produced a conviction in the Susan Newell / Ed Boler mortgage fraud case, after the efforts of another prosecutor resulted in a mistrial. (To be fair, that result has been attributed to a quirky juror)

Johnson has an understated style with witnesses, making potential foes cooperative and almost friendly. I have watched this guy in action day after day, and the idea of him running a prosecutor's office is very exciting...particularly since some of the mortgage fraud fungus involves cases with properties stretching from Hennepin to Anoka.

This blog is not only reporting this matter but also moving quickly to endorse Brad Johnson.

Brad Johnson, consider yourself endorsed.

Conviction, Finally, In Susan Newell And Ed Boler Mortgage Fraud Case...

Stock Photo by John Hoff, Hennepin County Government Building

Blog post by John Hoff

In a mortgage fraud case that included properties in North Minneapolis, and spanned two long, complex trials due to a quirky juror and a mistrial, the conviction of Susan Newell finally happened some days ago. Newell was convicted on multiple counts of theft by swindle and one count of racketeering, with aggravating factors.

The Star Tribune wrote an article about the conviction--which I loathe linking to, because Star Tribune links have a tendency to go dead and sometimes get "sticky" when you're trying to pull up the link. I've spent two years griping about this but nothing changes at the Star Tribune, except they seem to have fewer employees all the time and more trees just keep dying to put out newsprint. Whatever. The article was unsatisfying in a number of aspects, and I'd like to list those aspects and add more information about the recent conviction.

First and foremost--here's a link, click here, to the actual criminal complaint in the case, which conveniently lists all the properties at issue including--here's my main interest--the ones in North Minneapolis. Would it have been so hard for the Star Tribune to provide access to this document via a link from their online story? I mean, it's not like the Media Relations person at the County Attorney's office didn't, gee, put it right on their website.

Secondly...

...two attorneys at the prosecutor's office put in hundreds of hours into this case yet were not even named in the article. They are Brad Johnson and Wendy Zeller. Johnson was the attorney who landed the conviction of Larry Maxwell, which this blog reported in extensive detail. (Liz Johnston also worked the Larry Maxwell case)

Third, there were many details lacking from the article, such as the fact Susan Newell--who now almost certainly faces a term in prison--has a number of children, some of which were reportedly in the court room. She was NOT taken into custody after the verdict. I certainly wouldn't bet money on Susan Elizabeth Newell showing up for sentencing. Newell has an extensive criminal history, as documented in the criminal complaint.

Fourth--and here I'm merely making a point, not criticizing the Star Tribune--Susan Newell should have made some kind of desperate plea bargain instead of rolling the dice. One mortgage fraudster after another has been taken down by the county prosecutor in the last couple years. It took two shots to get Newell, but get her they did.

Anybody charged with crimes related to mortgage fraud would be well-advised, in Hennepin County, to make some kind of deal. But it seems like mortgage scammers are an overly-confident bunch, who always think they can somehow beat the rap. At least it makes for a somewhat entertaining legal spectacle.

For the sake of the historical record, and the convenience of future would-be property owners, here's a list of the properties in North Minneapolis which were caught up in this mortgage fraud. Photo tour, anybody?

2207 Aldrich Ave. N.

818 Queen Ave. N.

2720-2722 Penn Ave. N.

2918 Russell Ave. N.

4527 Bryant Ave. N.

1514 Thomas Ave. N.

(This last property, notably, fell into the hands of the infamous Dana D III entity)