EXCLUSIVE: New York Attorney General Letitia James, who gained notoriety as President Donald Trump’s adversary by accusing him of mortgage fraud, is now facing similar allegations. Her main critic is a notorious con artist who claims to recognize deception.
Sam Antar, who managed the finances for his cousin, the infamous “Crazy Eddie” Antar, as they built a consumer electronics empire in the New York area, assisted his late relative in embezzling funds and exaggerating the company’s worth before abandoning investors in the late 1980s. He asserts that he knows every fraud tactic imaginable and has detected inconsistencies in James’ real estate documentation.
“I can’t predict how justice will unfold, and frankly, I don’t care as long as I’m correct,” stated Antar, who has made his discoveries public. “If they don’t convict her, it’s their shame and humiliation.”
Antar admitted to multiple felonies, cooperating with authorities to convict his cousin, whose store ads famously featured a frenzied pitchman proclaiming, “Our prices are insane!” While Eddie fled to Israel, was later extradited to the U.S., and served time before passing away in 2016, Sam has rebranded himself as a fraud specialist for government entities and law firms. He has a website where he shares details of his investigations.
An old Crazy Eddie Store in Coney Island (Anthony Pescatore/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images)
Sammy Antar, a forensic accountant investigator and former CFO of Crazy Eddie, uncovered documents that led to criminal allegations against New York Attorney General Letitia James. (Fox News)
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In an exclusive discussion with Fox News Digital, Antar mentioned that he conducted his investigation independently and was the first to reveal the documents related to James’ alleged mortgage fraud on his White Collar Fraud website a few weeks ago.
He claims that the credibility of his findings, bolstered by his established reputation in uncovering white-collar fraud for governmental agencies, led the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) to adopt the case and forward a criminal referral to the Justice Department.
“It’s not a battle between the Trump administration and Tish James; I’m holding her accountable,” Antar conveyed to Fox News Digital. “I am not tied to the Trump administration. I was investigating Tish James because it’s my expertise.”
“I faced various risks in my investigation, including potential backlash and reputational damage. But I stand by my work,” he affirmed.
New York Attorney General Letitia James is accused of mortgage fraud. (Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Antar asserts that he discovered all pertinent information independently, clarifying that he is not working on behalf of the government in his inquiry into James. Fox News Digital sought confirmations from the FHFA and the White House but received no response.
“Everything I’ve done is well-documented,” declared Antar, who identifies as a Democrat. “This is not harassment. It’s not a political vendetta by the Trump administration. He has his motives. I have no concern for that. I simply carried out my forensic accounting and meticulously documented my findings.”
Antar’s investigations unveiled documents dating back to 1983, indicating that James may have been misrepresenting her financial situation for years to secure favorable loans from lenders.
The FHFA has accused James of falsifying documents to satisfy certain lending standards and obtain beneficial loan conditions.
James, 66, refutes the allegations and asserts that Trump is orchestrating this action, labeling it a “revenge tour” following the $454 million civil fraud suit she successfully led against him the previous year. Trump and his organization are currently appealing the decision.
In Trump’s civil fraud case, he was accused of financial misrepresentation and providing false information about his real estate, similar to the charges laid against James by the FHFA.
Antar told Fox News Digital that he began scrutinizing James’ records months ago after examining the costs associated with her private flights as attorney general.
President Donald Trump attended a court session at New York Supreme Court on Oct. 2, 2023, for the start of a civil trial alleging fraud in his business practices. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Property in Sterling Street, Norfolk, VA
In the criminal referral sent to the Justice Department, FHFA Director William Pult referenced a property in Virginia, which James allegedly designated as her primary residence in 2023 while simultaneously being a public officeholder in New York. She purchased the property around the time Trump’s trial commenced.
The FHFA noted that mortgages on primary residences generally enjoy better terms, including lower interest rates compared to those on secondary residences.
According to Antar, James asserted in her mortgage documents that this would be her principal residence.
“She granted power of attorney to a family member and stated in a notarized document that it was her intention to designate the property as her primary residence,” said Antar. “If that statement is accurate, she would be ineligible to hold office in New York. Neither she nor her relative applied for a homestead exemption, yet the mortgage was given based on the condition that both would occupy the residence. That’s how she secured advantageous terms.”
One of Letitia James’ properties located in Norfolk, VA. (Google Maps)
A permit issued on July 15, 2024, for James’ New York property identifies it as the “JAMES RESIDENCE” with a status indicating “Remain Occupied,” as noted in the FHFA’s letter.
James’ office communicated to Fox News Digital that she makes it clear she is not using the Virginia property as her primary residence, as she resides in New York.
In a recent letter to the Justice Department, James’ attorneys informed Attorney General Pam Bondi that while the power-of-attorney document “mistakenly identified the property as Ms. James’ principal residence,” Pult “completely disregarded” a capitalized assertion made two weeks prior to the mortgage loan broker, which specified that the property “WILL NOT be my primary residence,” but would instead serve as the primary residence for her niece.
James’ attorney, Abbe Lowell, stated that emails demonstrated that the mortgage broker was aware of this arrangement.
Property in Brooklyn, NY
In 2001, James acquired a property in Brooklyn, officially recorded with its certificate of occupancy noting it has five units, but the FHFA maintains that James consistently misrepresented this property as having four units in various building permit applications and mortgage documents. This misrepresentation allowed James to secure a lower mortgage interest rate, known as a conforming loan, which is exclusively available for properties with four units or less.
Letitia James’ home in Brooklyn, center (Google Maps)
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Letitia James received mortgage help through the Home Affordable Modification Program, which is designed to aid homeowners facing foreclosure by lowering their monthly payments. Eligibility required properties to have four or fewer units, according to the referral.
Her attorneys informed Bondi that James’ home “has four floors and has always served as a four-person residence since Ms. James moved in.”
However, the online certificate of occupancy for the property still reflects the 2001 version, which indicates five units. The Department of Buildings confirmed to Fox News Digital that this is the latest certificate they have for the building.
James’ office clarified to Fox News that her filings consistently state the property is a four-unit dwelling, despite the previous owner listing it as a five-unit prior to her purchase in 2001.
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Mortgages listing her father as her spouse
Additionally, James, who has never been married, is accused of claiming her father was her husband to secure two mortgages in Queens. Records reportedly show that the property James bought with her father listed both as “husband and wife” in 1983 and 2000.
“Although this happened a long time ago, it raises serious doubts about the accuracy of Ms. James’ statements on mortgage applications,” Pulte stated.
Lowell accused the FHFA of selective interpretation, asserting that the deed names her father “and Letitia James, his daughter.”
“As I have pointed out, the documentation included by Director Pulte is striking because it fails to account for many other records (some of which we have included) that refute the allegations of misconduct and indicate that a mistake on one line was inconsequential,” Lowell wrote.
“If you believe I have not covered any important aspects in the facts and documents provided, please let me know. Otherwise, we expect a swift response confirming that this referral has been closed by the Department.”
Antar, on the other hand, stands by his findings.
“I documented everything I did,” he said. “And I stand by all my actions. I undertook this on my own time and at my own expense.”
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