Homebuilder Miller convicted

A federal jury convicted Kansas City area homebuilder F. Jeffrey Miller and two others of multiple felonies late Thursday and acquitted a fourth defendant, a spokesman for federal prosecutors said.

Miller was convicted on four felony counts and acquitted on seven others cited in a November 2006 indictment.

The charges were related to a $25 million bank fraud indictment brought against Miller and others in May 2006. He and several others still face those charges.

"There definitely will be an appeal," said Thomas Bradshaw, Miller's attorney.

Bradshaw said the jury in the case is still deliberating a final issue in the indictment that would require the defendants to forfeit certain assets.

The indictment listed those to include all assets of Miller Enterprises and other businesses and two boats, one named "Bling-Bling" and the other "Pipe Dream."

Bradshaw said the jury is expected to finish that work next month.

Miller was convicted on one count each of conspiracy, unlawful monetary transactions and two counts of criminal contempt. He was acquited on the bank fraud charges.

Co-defendant Stephen W. Vanatta was convicted of six felonies, including conspiracy and bank fraud, and acquitted on five other counts.

Hallie Irvin was convicted on six felony counts, including conspriacy and bank fraud, and acquitted on five others.

A fourth defendant, Sandra Joy “Sam” Harris, was acquitted on all charges.

Submitted by Mark Davis on December 19, 2008 - 9:56am.
Contact Mark Davis at mdavis@kcstar.com
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Submitted by Anonymous on April 28, 2009 - 11:57pm.

I believe that several of the large publicly traded builders have been investigated and fined for lending law violations. According to the Scottsdale Home Builder, it is about time that, Miller and his companion were finally convicted. Glad that something was finally done. He is hardly the only crook doing these schemes.

Submitted by Anonymous on December 19, 2008 - 3:53pm.

For years, consumers have been complaining nationwide about mortgage fraud, including homebuilders' involvement. Law enforcement told them it wasn't the government's problem, to "just get a lawyer and sue." This was a cop out answer because lawyers do not take such unprofitable cases, nor do civil courts address criminal behavior. Also, binding mandatory arbitration clauses in contracts kept many civil complaints out of court, out of public record, and often favored the industry with whom arbitrators did repeat business.

Several of the large publicly traded builders have been investigated and fined for lending law violations but the homeowners they harm rarely if ever get any justice, and settlements with the government almost always seem like pay-for-immunity, with their "no admission of wrong doing."

It is about time Miller and his gang were finally convicted. This has been going on for at least a decade, and many of his real victims--consumers--never saw justice in time to help them and will probably never receive restitution. I'm glad something was finally done but it's appalling that consumer complaints were not taken seriously and that only when banks were defrauded was something meaningful finally done. He is hardly the only crook doing these schemes; I'd like to see more convictions now that the housing bust has finally exposed that a lot of fraud was going on. Most of it was done by those in the industry according to the FBI in about 2004.


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