East Hartford Woman Charged in Mortgage Scheme

This release was issued by the Connecticut Department of Criminal Justice

April 9, 2014

An East Hartford woman was arrested today and charged with larceny and forgery in connection with a scheme that cost homeowners seeking to modify their home mortgage loans thousands of dollars.

SABAH KENNAWI, age 50, 36 Belden St., East Hartford, was charged with one count each of Larceny in the First Degree and Forgery in the Second degree as a result of an investigation by the Statewide Prosecution Bureau of the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney in response to complaints from the State of Connecticut Department of Banking.

According to the arrest warrant affidavit, Kennawi collected thousands of dollars in fees and supposed mortgage payments from homeowners who had gone to her business, Mortgage Professional Services, LLC, seeking assistance in modifying their existing home mortgage loans.

Kennawi, who did not have the license required by the state to offer such services, was not permitted to collect the fees, the warrant states. Additionally, she did not make the mortgage payments for which she had received funds but allegedly kept the money for her own use, the warrant alleges.

Kennawi will be arraigned in Hartford Superior Court, G.A. No. 14, on April 14, 2014. The charges are merely allegations and she is presumed innocent unless and until she is found guilty.

The investigation is continuing. Kennawi was arrested in September 2013 and charged with two counts of Criminal Impersonation related to the same investigation. Those charges are pending in Hartford Superior Court.

Larceny in the First Degree is a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a $15,000 fine. Forgery in the Second Degree is a felony punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a $5,000 fine.