Regina DaSilva Misled State Governmental Offices and a Bank to Obtain More Than $22 Million in Mortgage Loans
Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., today announced the indictment of REGINA DASILVA, 41, for filing petitions containing false information with two New York State governmental offices and with Signature Bank in an effort to obtain more than $22 million in mortgage loans on behalf of her employer, the Universal Church. DASILVA has been charged in a 36-count indictment with Grand Larceny, Offering a False Instrument for Filing, Making an Apparently Sworn False Statement, and Scheme to Defraud.[1] “Fraud is always wrong, but it is especially egregious when criminals misuse religious organizations, courts, and state agencies in their schemes,” said District Attorney Vance. “This defendant not only misled the faithful, but she also undermined the integrity of our judicial system by filing false statements and petitions with New York State Supreme Court judges and the State Attorney General’s Office.”