L.A. Couple Tortures Loan-Mod Agents

| Posted Nov 2nd 2009 12:00PM

Last Wednesday, after losing their home to foreclosure, two desperate homeowners got medieval on the loan officers they felt were responsible - now they're facing up to life in prison for it.

The Los Angeles County district attorney reports that the couple, Daniel Weston, 51, and Mary Ann Parmelee, 52, and three others are accused of luring two male victims to a Glendale, Calif., office where they were tied up, held for hours, and beaten.
Police were notified when one of the victims managed to escape. According to Reuters, the couple is charged with two counts of torture, two counts of false imprisonment by violence, and two counts of second-degree robbery. Each count of felony torture, defined as inflicting "great bodily injury" for the purpose of "revenge, extortion, persuasion and for a sadistic purpose," carries a maximum penalty of life in prison.

Weston and Parmelee share a home in nearby La Canada-Flintridge. The couple was jailed and placed on a $1 million bond. Weston and another man are accused with beating the victims in front of three co-defendants who prosecutors say had a business role funneling loan-modification referrals to them.

A statement from the district attorney's office stated that Weston and Paramelee sought loan modification assistance from the victims but believed nothing was being done so wanted their money back. They felt they had been swindled.

As foreclosures rise, so do the crimes associated with the foreclosure process.

The Federal Trade Commission offers a citizen's guide to help homeowners identify loan modification scams. NeighborWorks, a Los Angeles non-profit, has just started a campaign to educate hardest-hit demographics in Southern California affected by mortgage loan-modification fraud. The New York Times reports on a new service called ePropertyWatch which will notify a homeowner of fraudulent public-document records. Such records have been used by thieves to take control of a property through "house theft" or "title theft."

via Reuters , The Los Angeles Times , The New York Times

Mortgage rates are at an all-time low. What's keeping you from buying?
Lender requirements are too strict. I can't qualify for a loan.	5025 (39.5%)
I have to sell my current home first.	4348 (34.2%)
You could bring the interest down to 0 percent -- I still couldn't afford the monthly payments.	3359 (26.4%)

Mortgage rates are at an all-time low. What's keeping you from buying?

Lender requirements are too strict. I can't qualify for a loan.

5025 (39.5%)

I have to sell my current home first.

4348 (34.2%)

You could bring the interest down to 0 percent -- I still couldn't afford the monthly payments.

3359 (26.4%)

Reader Comments (109)

by Lori - November 2nd 2009 @ 2:16PM

First off, who cares if they were beaten, they're scam artists! Loan Modification is FREE and if they're charging for it, then they should be charged with a crime especially since the couple lost their home. Second, this couple should have known this and did their research before handing out their money to strangers for a FREE service. EDUCATE yourselves you idiots! Now they're going to spend the rest of their lives in prison for doing something so heinous (but warranted if you ask me at the same time) because the Gov't is allowing companies to do this to people. It's hard enough working with the banks because they don't want to modify your loan, they pretend they don't receive paperwork, etc., if I were stupid enough to have paid for this service and lost my home, I'd probably want to beat the scam artists myself....only I wouldn't have. Obama better do something quick!

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by s1r - November 2nd 2009 @ 2:57PM

Don't get angry, do your homework. You should know better than to take things at face value in these hard times. Now they just screwed themselves.

by Luke "Shifty Eyes" Gillette - November 2nd 2009 @ 2:17PM

Lori, Shut up and pay your damned mortgage and quit blaming everyone for all your troubles.

by Keith - November 2nd 2009 @ 2:18PM

Finally, the banksters get what is owed to them. We should be doing this all over the United States. Long live the free people of the United States!

by Frieda Taub - November 2nd 2009 @ 2:58PM

What Lori?
OBAMA DO SOMETHING??
He did enough harm!
Want more harm?

by Luke \\\ - November 2nd 2009 @ 2:53PM

OBAMA DO SOMETHING to keep me from doing something stupid. I need the government to hold my hand at everything I do. Hey I was promised that my mortgage debt and all my credit card payments would be cut by 50% and that it wouldn't affect my credit. GEEESH! MORONS!

by Dick - November 2nd 2009 @ 2:58PM

They deserve 1 year hard labor each for being dumb as the agents do not grant the loans. Remember we have to flip the bill while they lay around in prison.

by Bob - November 2nd 2009 @ 2:59PM

Lori -

Grow up - and become responsible and self-accountable!

by pitcherday - November 2nd 2009 @ 2:55PM

Really? Advocating the beating and torture of scam artists?

Yay! More senseless violence in America!!! (?)

by Sally - November 2nd 2009 @ 2:55PM

Why are people blaming Obama for scam artists? They will ALWAYS be among us and no one can stop them. People need to take responsibility for their own actions. Do background checks and know your facts before handing over money to any stranger. Anything too good to be true is ALWAYS too good to be true!

by nobama - November 2nd 2009 @ 2:36PM

I feel bad that so many are losing their homes. Some of it is greediness, and ignorance buying something they couldn't afford maybe hoping to turn a profit. Nothing galls me more than hearing sob stories of poor people who got swindled, these loan officers didn't hold a gun to their heads. If they signed something they didn't understand then they learned a valuable lesson. If I got to vegas and lose $5,000 do I go to the government and say I got swindled? or I didn't know better so reimburse me? no! I suck it up and deal with it.

by toughtalk - November 2nd 2009 @ 2:53PM

It appears to me that, the politicians are only interested in looking after those that line their pockets and not the citizens of our great country. It's unfortunate that private folks are forced to take matters into their own hands. At 50 I'm sure these folks worked hard to obtain their home and to have lost it as a result of wall street banking schemes, then watch our politicians bail-out the same criminals that caused our financial demise, putting us all at risk. then to have these scumbags play the opportunist adding insult to injury. I don't agree with the kidnapping aspect of this event but an ass whooppin was definitely in order. just meet them outside of the office and whoop that ass for stealing their money. No need to burden or add cost to the court system with this shit. These folks gave their hard earned money to rescue their situation to these scum bags and would have spent more money and extensive amount of time going to court, which would more than likely sited some legal bullshit to further protect the scum. let these people go with a minor fine or community service and beat the shit out of the thieving dick-scum.

by J. - November 2nd 2009 @ 2:50PM

The only one who should get charge is the Bush and company, it all happen on his watch don't blame Obama because Bush and his boys where asleep at the wheel.Obama's job now is to try to fix the mess.

by seriously? - November 2nd 2009 @ 2:57PM

no one deserves to be tortured in such a manner. honestly, i can't say if they were scamming them, but i do know of LO's who charge an application fee to start the loan modification process. there is a lot a paperwork that has to be completed to get the ball rolling. also, what does obama have to do w/ people losing their homes to foreclosure. this is a mess that was started by the previous administration. it has actually dwindled down quite a bit since obama took office. everyone wants things to happen right now, but in reality it takes quite a bit of time to fix the current situation. this happened b/c bush and his people weren't looking out for our best interest.

by JERRY - November 2nd 2009 @ 2:56PM

I WISH I COULD BE ON THE JURY AT THEIR TRIAL. THEY WOULD BE FOUND INNOCENT AND SENT HOME TO TORTURE THE NEXT SCAMMING LOW LIFE. THIS IS ALMOST THE BEST REVENGE STORY. THE ONLY PROBLEM I HAVE WITH IT, THEY DIDN'T CUT OFF ANY LIMBS AND THEY DIDN'T ULTIMATELY KILLED THEM. MAYBE NEXT TIME.
THIS COUPLE SHOULD BE HONORED!!!!!

by Willy - November 2nd 2009 @ 2:56PM

We need to beat a few more of them!
Maybe the would quit ripping people off.

by Lynda Starwriter - November 2nd 2009 @ 2:56PM

I would say my heart goes out to these people UP UNTIL they stepped way, way, way over criminal bounds, regardless of circumstances. My educated guess is that even before these people were in foreclosure, they knew they couldn't pay the mortgage going in -- say on an 80/20, interest only, or adjustable rate mortgage as the circumstances dictated an INCREASED payment. I would also guess that before they graduated to felony criminal acts, questionable deeds loomed somewhere in a checkered past.

by Linda - November 2nd 2009 @ 2:57PM

Bush and Company? The democrats were in on this mess and its gotten bigger and will get bigger still. There will be one business in this country The US Government. They are trying to control everything you do..wake up!

by Midntflwr - November 2nd 2009 @ 2:59PM

I feel bad for these two but one should never resort to violence even though I know how they feel. But look at the bright side...they don't need a house now they will be in prision for the rest of their lives and the bad thing is we are going to pay for it with our tax dollars. A place to stay, food to eat and even their healthcare. That is what everyone expects Obama to do anyway.