BOSTON — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (USAO - Massachusetts), published as received.

BOSTON – Five individuals have been charged for their alleged involvement in a scheme to obtain millions of dollars of mortgage loans and dozens of luxury apartment leases by submitting fraudulent applications and forged financial records.

The following individuals have been indicted on one count of conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud:

  • Sniders Jean-Jacques, 38, of Miami;
  • German Olivo, 41, of Weston, Fla.;
  • Jim Kelly Michel, 50, of Delray Beach, Fla.;
  • Tanya Pierre, 28, of Miami; and
  • Rosalie Clement-Jackson, 55, of Sunrise, Fla.

Jean-Jacques and Pierre were arrested and appeared in federal court in Miami. Olivo, Michel and Clement-Jackson were also arrested and appeared in federal court in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The defendants will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.

According to the charging documents, Jean-Jacques operated a purported tax preparation and credit repair business with offices in Boston and Miami. For Jean-Jacques’s clients with poor credit who needed a mortgage loan or apartment rental (“Fraudulent Applicants”) the defendants allegedly conspired to prepare fake paystubs and forged bank statements. They allegedly obtained so-called “tradelines,” in which the Fraudulent Applicants were added to the credit accounts of individuals with strong credit histories, in order to fraudulently boost the Fraudulent Applicants’ credit scores. Additionally, it is alleged that they used other people’s identities to hide the Fraudulent Applicants’ savings and credit history from mortgage lenders and landlords.

Kelly Michel allegedly provided the tradelines and victim Social Security numbers for the Fraudulent Applicants to use. Olivo allegedly altered the Fraudulent Applicants’ bank statements to show significant balances and deposits corresponding to fake paystubs Jean-Jacques allegedly sent him, all to suggest the Fraudulent Applicants’ ability to pay a lender or landlord. It is further alleged that Pierre worked as Jean-Jacques’s assistant and allowed Jean-Jacques to use her identity to rent apartments in Miami on behalf of Fraudulent Applicants in order to hide the true tenants’ identities from landlords. Clement-Jackson allegedly worked as a mortgage broker and directed Fraudulent Applicants to Jean-Jacques for fake paystubs and forged bank statements. It is alleged that, between in or about May 2018 and in or about June 2025, the defendants and others applied for more than $6.7 million and obtained more than $3.7 million, in mortgage loans from lenders and applied for and obtained dozens of apartment rentals for Fraudulent Applicants.  

Jean-Jacques and Pierre were also charged in a separate indictment with conspiracy to commit wire fraud related to a scheme to obtain loans under the Paycheck Protection Program.

The charge of wire and bank fraud conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of $1 million or twice the gross gain or loss from the scheme, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Thomas Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite, Special Agent in Charge of the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General, Eastern Region; and Randy Maloney, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service, Boston Field Office made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of Inspector General and the Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Kearney of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.

The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.