DETROIT – Greed is defined as an excessive desire to possess more than one needs, especially when it comes to money.
We may all have a little greed in us, but when you cross the line, you make the Local 4 Defenders' "Greed List."
Sheri Rosenbaum
The federal government says the 50-year-old Oakland County woman makes her money on commissions from home loans. When her clients don't qualify for a loan, she just lies on the application. She's been convicted of obtaining a loan for a home in Birmingham for a legally blind woman on disability. Rosenbaum created counterfeit pay stubs and bank accounts to get the loan approved. Rosenbaum got commission off the $279,000 loan.
"Somewhere at the heart of this, you could see these people being persuaded by someone who is a con artist to apply for loans," said Neil Rockind, an attorney who reviewed Rosenbaum's case. "The only reason these homeowners would apply for a loan with this woman was for her to get commission."
In another instance, Rosenbaum targeted a window in a Bloomfield Hills home. The widow doesn't have income but Rosenbaum lied on a home loan application to make it look like the widow, not her deceased husband, was the doctor. Rosenbaum used faked IRS forms showing an income of $265,000 a year to land a $660,000 loan – and collect commission on it.
But her greediest act? Using her son.
By the time he was 8, Rosenbaum had lied on credit card applications in his name – saying he's 28 years old and makes $280,000 a year. The pre-teen gets enough credit for his mom to run up $40,000 on American Express and Capital One cards.
Rosenbaum declined to talk to the Defenders. She has been sentenced to spend four years in prison.
Richard Woolsey
Federal prosecutors say this Grosse Ile resident has lied to banks on mortgage documents that led to $2,750,000 in losses. A jury has found him guilty, but Woolsey says otherwise.
"People that know me and are closed to me know what kind of person I really am. And, ultimately, like I said, I had my day in court and lost," he said.
However, his own sister, calls him a chameleon, who will say anything to anyone to make a dollar.
"We were all really close and I'm embarrassed of my family now. I would rather just move out of state and I don't even talk to my brothers anymore," said Kelly Saldana. "I don't consider him my brother anymore.
Woolsey has been sentenced to seven years in prison.
If you want to submit a name of someone for the Defenders to consider for the Greed List, email Defenders@clickondetroit.com.