From police officer to mortgage fraudster and attempted murderer

A former Alabama police officer has admitted to participating in a $15 million mortgage scam and attempting to murder a witness to the fraud

A former Alabama police officer has admitted to participating in a $15 million mortgage scam and attempting to murder a witness to the fraud.

Kinard Henson, 41, was one of 11 defendants charged in July 2012 with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering, according to the FBI. He pleaded guilty in federal court Thursday to those charges and one count of attempted murder.

Prosecutors say that Henson and his co-conspirators recruited straw buyers and submitted fraudulent loan application documents to mortgage lenders in order to obtain mortgages. Once the loans were approved and the lenders disbursed the proceeds, Henson received a portion of the money.

When Henson learned of a subpoena seeking documents connected to straw buyer Larry Baker purchase, he contracted with his cousin to kill Baker, according to the FBI. Henson and the would-be assassin lured Baker into the woods, where Henson’s cousin shot Baker three times, according to a report by the New Orleans Times-Picayune.

Henson faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for he money laundering conspiracy charge, up to 30 years and a $1 million fine for the wire fraud conspiracy charge, and up to 30 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the attempted murder charge.