Thomas von Behren a/k/a Tom Von Behren, a con-man who has been convicted one on Federal Felony Bank Fraud and twice of State Theft By Swindle charges between 1999 and was recently named as the main Defendant in a 24 page Complaint filed by the Minnesota Attorney General, Michael Hatch. Hennepin County District Court Case. No. 04-12164.
The Attorney General accuses von Behren, of "mutiple instances of real estate and financial fraud, violating Minnesota Consumer Fraud Act, Uniform Decpetive Trade Practices Act, by among other things deceptively acting as a real estate Agent or Mortgage Originator". The Attorney General's action stems from von Behren's on going criminal enterprise which he has run even while he was supposed to have been incarcerated for his last swindle.
In addition to von Behren, the action names of other defendants, including his sife, Clarice von Berhen, Real Equity Investments, Inc. Zachspensc Inc. Land Data, Inc. World Wide Data, Inc. Bruce Livinggood and Abdul Baten. The Complaint also names 1-10 John Does, 1-10 Jane Does, and 1-10 ABC Corporations as yet to be named defendants.
The Attorney General rightfully calls von Behren a "financial predator" and the suit is supported by affidavits of at least 22 victims. Mostly vulnerable homeowners who were duped out of the ownership of their homes by von Behren and his named and yet to be named co-conspiritors. The defendant list will get longer as more victims become aware of the action and come forward with their complaints and/or stories.
The Complaint seeks to temporarily and permanantly enjoin von Behren and his various agents, which includes several local attorneys, assigness, affiliates, corporations, partnerships, limited liability corporations, limited lieabilty partnerships, and all other persons in active concert with him from
(1) directly or indirectly participating in any transaction related to real estate, mortgages, or financing,
(2) directly or indirectly assisting in the eviction of a person from a whom where the person had once been fee owner of the home
(3) directly of indirectly assisting or directing the filing or prosecuting of an unlawful detainer action against a tenant who is or has been the fee owner of such real estate
(4) directly of indirectly acquire or receive, or assist any other person in acquiring or reciving, any interest in real estate which is or will be involved in a real esate mortgage foreclosure proceeding or has been directly or indirectly involved in a real esate mortgage foreclosure proceeding, during past three years,
5) directly or indirectly sell, assign, or transfer any interest in real estate, or assist any other person in selling, assigining, or transfering any interest in real estate, where the real estate is or will be involved in a real estate mortgage foreclosure proceeding or has been directly or indirectly involved in a real esate mortgage foreclosure proceeding in the past three years.
The action stems from the highly organized real estate, mortgage foreclosure equity stripping enterprise that von Behren has orchestrated through various corporations, accomplices and attorneys. Duping hundreds of Minnesota residents out of the ownership and equity of their homes.
Von Behren and the others have used the homeowners properties to fraudulently obtained millions of dollars of loans from commerical banks and mortgage companies, by falsely claiming that they owned the properties, when in most cases they were still owned by the victims.
Von Berhen's third felony convicion in November of for theft by swindle came as the result of his borrowing money from an investor and giving the investor a mortgage on a home von Behren did not own.incredibly as part of his sentaence von Behren received only a year in jail and 10 years of probation, One of the conditions of his probation was that he was not to continue "self employment" in the area of real estate, mortgages or any financial transactions.
However von Behren cleverly dodged both the self employment prohibition and his incarceration by enlisitng the help of a Minneapolis attorney by the name of Benjamin Houge. Mr. Houge claimed to the Court that von Behren was an "employee" of the Benjamin Houge Law Office" the Court bought this claim hook line and sinker and allowed von Behren to be released 45-55 hours a week during the entire year he was supposed to be serving time in jail.in truth the Benjaimin Houge Law Office, was simply Benjamin Houge, a solo pratitioner, with a meager practice and no employees.
Despite attorney Houge's claim that von Behren was a $750.00 a week employee of his firm, von Behren was driving expensive automobiles including two (2) Hummers and a 2004 BMW 523 and living in a $750,000.00 home in a gated golf course community. It was also reported that von Behren had recently offered to underwrite the entire cost of a european trip for his son's soccer team. Despite the fact he has not paid a red cent of restituion to his last two swindle victims for which he was convicted.
On Friday October 8, the Attorney general will ask the Court to issue a Temporary Injunction, pending the adjudication of the action.
Other investigations continue.
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