Area man arrested in alleged mortgage fraud scheme

NAPLES — Naples resident Ben Handa was arrested and charged with fraudulently obtaining a mortgage loan, communications fraud and defrauding a financial institution for his alleged role in a mortgage fraud scam.

The arrest was announced in a press release from the Florida Office of Financial Regulation. The release says Handa is alleged to have forged and filed a quitclaim deed, fraudulently giving him ownership of a single-family home, through his company, Green Capital Holdings.

The release also says he purportedly obtained two mortgages against the property. Authorities contend he represented in his loan application that the property was generating rental income from a lease to his company. It's alleged Handa used mortgage loan proceeds for personal expenses.