WHEELING, W.Va. — A Wheeling mortgage broker is facing federal charges for allegedly ripping off his customers.
On Friday in U.S. District Court in Wheeling, Mark Busack, 51, was charged with five federal counts for allegedly making hundreds of thousands of dollars in unauthorized charges using the credit and debit accounts from his customers with Major Savings, Inc.
The mortgage company was also known as A Plus Family Mortgage.
Additionally, Busack is accused of understating his gross income in 2012 by more than $300,000.
Busack was charged by information, which usually indicates a defendant is cooperating, with four counts of use of an unauthorized access device and one count of filing a false corporation income tax return.
According to U.S. Attorney Bill Ihlenfeld, he faces up to ten years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 on each of the four access device charges and up to three years in prison and a fine of up to $100,000 on the tax charge.
The investigation started in 2013 when Busack’s customers first voiced concerns about his financial practices. Several agencies got involved in the investigation including the FBI, the Ohio County Sheriff’s Department, the IRS and the Wheeling Police Department.
After being contacted by Busack’s customers, the West Virginia Attorney General’s Office also joined the efforts. This week, the AG’s Office filed a separate civil lawsuit against Busack in Ohio County Circuit Court.