Chicago lawyer indicted in fraud scheme

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CHICAGO, Jan. 28 (UPI) -- A Chicago area lawyer and national talk show host was indicted in mortgage fraud schemes that defrauded lenders of $9.7 million, the Justice Department said.

Warren Ballentine allegedly plotted with others to get more than two dozen fraudulent mortgage loans and represented buyers at closings knowing that they weren't qualified for home mortgages in Chicago and its southern suburbs, the U.S. Justice Department said Monday in a release.

Ballentine, 41, was charged with two counts of bank fraud, two counts of making false statements to lenders, and one count each of mail fraud and wire fraud in a six-count indictment returned Thursday by a federal grand jury, the Justice Department said. The indictment also seeks forfeiture of about $9.7 million in alleged fraud proceeds.

Ballentine, host of the syndicated radio urban talk show "The Warren Ballentine Show," will be arraigned next week in Chicago.