Three plead guilty to federal fraud charges

Three Clark County residents have pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud, after being indicted for defrauding business operators out of more than $1 million in advance fees for commercial loans that were not provided.

Darcy and Alyson Start of Camas and Chad Derousse of Vancouver are scheduled for sentencing Sept. 27 in U.S. District Court in Tacoma, according to court records.

Darcy Start, 45, and Alyson Start, 34, entered guilty pleas on March 17; Derousse, 40, pleaded guilty on May 5, the records say.

The three were indicted in April 2009, after some of their loan-seeking victims complained to the Vancouver Police Department and the FBI took over the case.

Officials said the three worked together, out of their homes, and cheated more than 20 people or businesses out of large sums of money.

Officials said the Starts operated companies they called Advanced Lending Solutions Inc., Rocket Processing Inc. and Imperial Acquisitions and Holdings, using websites that advertised their ability to obtain large loans. The conspiracy began “no later than January 2006,” according to the indictment.

As for Derousse, agents said he operated Diamond Crest Consulting Corp., using his website to say, “We work with over 100 Class ‘A’ lenders,” and claiming he could arrange loans ranging from $1 million to $10 billion, according to Columbian files.

The defendants failed to obtain the loans — and kept the advance fees they charged would-be borrowers, which totaled more than $1 million, in local bank accounts for their own use, agents said.

Gambling spree

Agents also said the three assured victims their loans were in the works, and fended victims off when they called to learn about their loans.

“In or about January 2008, Chad Derousse told (a victim) that he should never call Rocket Processing again because it could jeopardize their deal,” agents said in the indictment.

Agents also said the Starts took their victims’ money to casinos in Washington and Nevada and gambled with several hundred thousand dollars.

The indictment also seeks forfeiture of the defendants’ real and personal property linked to the conspiracy.

The defendants remain free on bond before sentencing, court records say.

Around the same time the three were indicted last year, President Barack Obama warned the public about similar recession-related advanced-fee ruses, saying “I just want everybody who is watching today to know that if somebody is asking you for money upfront before they help you with your refinancing, it’s probably a scam.”

Officials with the Washington State Department of Financial Institutions offer advice in dealing with such situations. To learn more, visit http://www.dfi.wa.gov.

John Branton: 360-735-4513 or john.branton@columbian.com.