Clermont Mortgage Consultant Pleads Guilty in Bank Fraud Scheme

Tampa, FL – Kenneth Blair (54, Clermont) has pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud. He faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. Blair entered his guilty plea while on pretrial release and awaiting sentencing for a similar mortgage fraud scheme. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement. According to court documents, from as early as May 2024, and continuing through July 2025, in the Middle District of Florida and elsewhere, Blair and others devised a scheme to defraud financial institutions by making materially false and fraudulent representations. Blair’s role in the bank fraud scheme included preparing and submitting fictitious and fraudulent paystubs and employment promotion letters for his clients in the names of companies to show fabricated income from employers. This caused the mortgage lenders to approve and fund mortgage loans for otherwise unqualified borrowers in exchange for undisclosed payments to Blair from his clients. The fraudulent mortgage loans were subsequently purchased and guaranteed by government-sponsored entities Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, as well as the Federal Housing Administration. This case was investigated by the Federal Housing Finance Agency – Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development – Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Chris Poor. On April 7, 2026, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.