Hendry County Loan Broker Arrested for Role in Alleged Fraudulent Advance Fee for Loan Scheme

Tallahassee, Fla. - The Office of Financial Regulation (OFR) today announced that Sammie Sue Doss was arrested for her role in an alleged fraudulent advance fee for loan scheme. She is charged with grand theft, fraudulent use of personal identifying information, and violating Florida’s loan broker laws. Victim losses are estimated to be more than $17,000.

Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis said, “Fraud can ruin lives and it’s especially awful when it’s committed by a trusted financial advisor. Thank you to OFR for their diligence in rooting out fraud throughout the state of Florida. Also, thank you to the Hendry County Sheriff’s Office and State Attorney’s Office, 20th Judicial Circuit, for all you do to keep Florida’s communities safe. I hope this arrest serves as a warning to other criminals that if they commit fraud in Florida, they will be held accountable.”

OFR Commissioner Russell C. Weigel, III said, “The Office of Financial Regulation will continue to work tirelessly with our partners to protect Floridians from financial scammers. Thank you to OFR’s investigative team, the Hendry County Sheriff’s Office, and the State Attorney’s Office, 20th Judicial Circuit for their hard work in this case.”

Doss allegedly assessed and collected advance fees based on promises of securing mortgage loans. The loans never materialized, and some victims claim that Doss further pressured them to make additional payments. Doss, using the alias “Sammie Trevino,” was also a named respondent in an OFR examination of a licensed mortgage broker business operating as AA Signature Mortgage, Inc., in Fort Myers. The OFR terminated AA Signature Mortgage, Inc.’s license as a result of the examination.

In 2011, as a result of an OFR and Collier County Sheriff’s Office investigation, Doss pled ‘no contest’ to a third-degree felony charge for a similar advance fee for loan scheme. She was sentenced to a year of probation and ordered to pay restitution and fees.

The case was investigated by the OFR, and the Hendry County Sheriff’s Office executed the arrest warrant. The case is being prosecuted by the State Attorney’s Office, 20th Judicial Circuit.

Floridians who suspect questionable financial business practices are encouraged to file a complaint online at www.flofr.gov, or by calling (850) 487-9687.