Gregory M. Miller & Benjamin Houge Attorneys At Law - Thomas Von Berhen Aka Teflon Tom & Clarice Von Berhen RIPOFF Minnesota Mortgage Mafia, Foreclosure & Mortgage Fraud, Money Laundering, & Fraud Upon The Hennepin County District Court Minneapolis Minnesota

The von Behren Crime Family now known as the "Minnesota Mortgage & Foreclosure Mafia"

The Minnesota Mortgage & Foreclosure Mafia may be
the most well organized and longest running organized
criminal enterprise of its kind in Minnesota. Dozens
of investors, home owners and at least two banks have
been defrauded by this group of con-men and con-woman.
Scams ranging from flipping and equity stripping homes
to borrowing large sums of money by giving lenders
mortgages to property they don't own.

These practices have resulted in victims being ripped off of millions of dollars. With most of the money being laundered through a bank accounts opened for that purpose at Alliance Bank a small state bank located in New Ulm, Minnesota.

This Minnesota crime family is headed by Thomas von
Behren aka Tom Von Behren aka Teflon Tom,
along with his sometimes wife Clarice von Behren
aka Calrice Von Behren. Until recently Teflon Tom
held himself out as a $750.00 a week employee of
Minneapolis attorney Benjamin Houge. Clarice von Berhen held herself out as $850.00 a week insurance investigator for Attorney General Michael Hatch. In truth the bulk of their income was earned by defrauding home owners, investors and banks. The von Behren crime family includes, an interesting cast of other characters including two Minneapolis attorneys
Benjamin Houge and Gregory M. Miller.

Based upon recent court testimony by Messrs. Houge and Miller, attorney Houge joined the ranks of the von Behren crime family sometime in early 2002. Attorney Miller was enlisted in the spring of 2002. These two attorneys became important cogs in the von Behren crime machine. Both attorneys played key roles in keeping the Minnesota Mafia's swindle mill rolling.

Attorney Houge's principle role was to pretend to be Teflon Tom's employer. It was is in this role that attorney Houge got Teflon Tom released from jail under the guise of work release. This employer/employee ruse also provided provided von Behren with a cover for his illicit activities.

Tom von Berhen had been banned in 1999 and again in 2002 from self employment in the areas of real estate, mortgages or finance under the conditions of his probation from two of his three felony convictions. Therefore he could be sent to prison if it was discovered he was self employed and dealing in real
estate, mortgages or finance. Even if he these dealings werre honest.

Fort his part, Attorney Gregory Miller played a crucial role as the von Behren crime family consigliare and legal scrivener or dozens of instruments used to cheat dozens of unwary home owners, investors and the Alliance Bank. Attorney Miller had no compunction in joining the ranks of a criminal enterprise run by a Teflon Tom a known swindler and three time convicted felon. Attorney Miller's own law partner Mark Levine was convicted in 2001 on felony charges for conspiring with his clients to defraud several mortgage companies in a series of flipping scams. Attorney Levine received a four year federal prison sentence. Apparently attorney Miller was never implicated in those scams.

Attorneys Houge and Miller have reaped huge sums from
their active participation in the von Behren's
criminal enterprise. Attorney Miller went so far personally taking title to a one of the many homes the Minnesota Mafia equity stripped from a homeowner. Attorney Miller then used this home to fraudulently obtain a $176,000.00 mortgage, claiming that he was or would be an owner occupant of the home. He has never occupied the home but instead he simply put the home back on the market in order to flip it to another buyer.

In another instance attorney Miller drafted and registered $50,000.00 mortgage from Clarice von Behren to attorney Miller's law firm Mansfield Tanick & Cohen. This conveyance was undertaken by attorney Miller and Clarice von Berhen in violation of the Hennepin County District Court Injunction which prohibited any such tranfers pending the outcome of the Attorney General's action against the von Behren crime family.

While Teflon Tom was suppose to be serving a 1 year jail
sentence, for his 3rd felony conviction for theft by swinlde or bank fraud. Clarice claimed to be was earning $850.00 per week as an insruance investigator for Attorney General Michael Hatch. Yet Tom & Clarice the couple were living in a $750,000.00 home they claimed to own in a Gated Community in a Bloomington, Minnesota. The von Berhen's were both seen driving a series of of very expensive new or late model Hummers and BMW automobiles.

These vehicles were later found to be registered under Clarice's name. The West Bloomington home was registered under the names of Michael and Mary Dupont. The Dupont's were one of many victims of the von Behren's criminal enterprise.

In order to cover their own tracks attorney Miller
and/or attorney Houge have personally represented the
von Behren's and their various shell corporations in
series of the civil law suits, that have been
commenced by or against them in the past three years.
Because these two attorneys were directly involved in
many of the scams, each of these attorneys for self
preservation purposes have violated many of the rules
governing attorney professional conduct.

In order to conceal their membership in the Minnesota Mortgage & Foreclosure Mafia and their active participation in most if not all of the von
Behren's scams both attorneys Houge and Miller have continuously lied in court documents and even as sworn
witnesses.

While acting as advocates both Houge and Miller have
also taken a dual role as witnesses in doing so they
have violated Rule 3.7 of the rules of Professional
Concuct. Submitting a myriad of their own affidavits
in various court actions vouching for this or for
that fact. Attorney Miller recently went so far as
to have himself called as a surprise witness at the
civil trial regarding his role in drafting fraudulent instruments. Including two mortgages and and affidavit which were admittedly fraudulent. He also testified regarding his role in the von Berhen's fraudulently obtaining a $300,000.00 and a $440,000.00 from the Alliance Bank of New Ulm, Minnesota.

Attorney Miller was compelled through self preseravetion to act as a witness after hearing Clarice von Behren's testimony, which implicated attorney Miller in the Alliance Bank fraud.He simply switched hats from advocate to witness in an attempt to do damage control. Unfortunately it didn't work. He merely exposed himself further.

The real estate records and testimony conclusively
proved that the von Behren's borrowed $300,000.00 from
the Alliance Bank, of New Ulm Minnesota, on June 28,
2002, giving Alliance Bank a mortgage to the Dupont's
home. The mortgage was drafted by attorney Miller,
signed by Clarice. Miller and Clarice warranted to the
bank that Clarice was married person and that she
owned the Dupont's home in fee and that is was free
and clear of any encumbrances.

Because the property was Torrens property, the bank could have easily have seen from the Certificate of Title that Clarice did not own the home and that it was anything but free and clear of liens or encumbrances. Miller and Clarice had simply warranted she owned it and that it was free and clear of encumbrances. Attorney Miller personally handled all the paper work and correspondence on this scam. Attorney Miller was such a good con-man, Alliance Bank didn't even bother to look at the Certificate of Title, obtain a title opinion and/or a title insurance policy, insuring that they were being given a 1st mortgage on the home by Clarice.

To add insult to injury the Alliance Bank branch manager even allowed attorney Miller to draft the mortgage and
other documents. This certainly is not the S.O.P. for
a mortgage loan by a commerical bank.

Clarice and attorney Miller also admitted that he
drafted an affidavit for Clarice's signature wherein
she falsely claimed she had incurred $44,000.00 in
costs and expenses preventing the Dupont's home from
waiste. These admission should be grounds for
prosecution as perjury on Clarice's part and
subornation of perjury on attorney Miller's part. The
filing of this affidavit against the Dupont's
Certificate of Title constitutes yet another felony
under Minn. Stat. 508.

Recently the Minnesota Department of Revenue filed a
14 count criminal complaint against the von Behren's
stemming for millions of unreported income they
obtained through their criminal enterprise by
defruading hoemowners, investors and banks. The case
is pending. As usual it is reported that neither
Teflon Tom or Clarice are behind bars. Leaving many of
the von Behren crime family victims wondering if white
collar crime really does pay.

Why hasn't Clarice von Behren & her Husband been
brought up on charges for Bank Fraud, where it was
reported over 2 years ago??? Why haven't these two
Crooked lawyers been prosecuted???? Why there been no
local media investigations or reports????

The Attorney General's civil case against Teflon Tom and Clarice is scheduled to go to trial on July 11, 2005, before the Honorable Mary Steenson Dufresne. Will the state call attorneys Miller and/or Houge to the stand as witnesses in this trial??

Kevin
Fridley, Minnesota
U.S.A.