Indictments unveiled in mortgage fraud sting

A lawyer, a tax-preparer and the owner of a mortgage brokerage are among more than a dozen people rounded up in what federal officials describe as a major crackdown on mortgage fraud in the Chicago area.

Nine indictments were unsealed Wednesday while federal agents fanned out across the Chicago area to arrest those charged.

They're accused of swindling lenders out of thousands of dollars by obtaining mortgages under false pretenses, often through the use of bogus documents.

U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald and FBI Special Agent Robert Grant have scheduled a news conference to provide details about the indictments later in the day.