A former loan officer at the Falls Church branch of Sun Trust Bank was among six people to plead guilty this week in federal court for their role in a multi-million dollar mortgage fraud scheme involving 15 homes in the region. Javier Siveroni, 48, a resident of Springfield, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison when sentenced on Nov. 4.

According to court documents, Silveroni prepared and submitted fraudulent and misleading mortgage loan applications for unqualified buyers who lacked the finances, credit rating or legal status to obtain a loan of such a value. Silveroni also created and taught co-conspirators how to create fake documents to corroborate false information contained on loan applications. The fraudulent applications contained false information about employment, income, assets, immigration status and intent to live in the property as a primary residence. The total amount of loan applications topped $6.5 million, and the total losses attributable to Silveroni was over $2.5 million.