Former NASA employee and husband charged in mortgage fraud scheme

HOUSTON, TX -- A Missouri City couple has been indicted for orchestrating a fraudulent financing and refinancing mortgage loan scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

Noreen Khan aka Noreen Khan-Mayberry, 50, and her husband Christopher Mayberry, 51, surrendered to federal authorities this morning. They are expected to make their initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Yvonne Ho at 2 p.m.

According to the indictment, returned Dec. 12, both are charged with one count of conspiracy to make false statements to mortgage loan businesses.

Beginning in 2016, Mayberry and Khan, while still employed at NASA, allegedly took out significant personal loans to fund the purchase of their luxury home before quickly defaulting on those loans.

According to the charges, the couple allegedly attempted to eliminate and dispute the debts, claiming to be victims of identity theft. Khan allegedly filed a false police report, submitted a false report to the Federal Trade Commission and sent letters to the credit bureaus in order to have the loans removed from her credit.

As part of the scheme, the couple allegedly signed three separate loan agreements with mortgage lenders related to the financing of their home from 2017 to 2021.

As part of the loan application process, the couple provided false employment information and fake documents which included pay stubs, tax forms and account statements to lenders, according to the charges.

If convicted, they face up to five years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine in addition to the possible forfeiture of their luxury home.

NASA’s Office of Inspector General-Office of Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Winter is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.