SANTA ANA, Calif.
Federal authorities arrested an Orange County man Wednesday on a criminal complaint alleging he defrauded a bank out of nearly $100 million by falsifying title insurance policies to make real estate collateral appear more valuable than it actually was, officials announced Wednesday.
Mahender Makhijani, 44, of Corona del Mar, is charged with bank fraud.
Quick Facts
Defendant: Mahender Makhijani, 44, of Corona del Mar
Charge: Bank fraud
Alleged Loss Exposure: Nearly $100 million
Company: Cantor Group V LLC, Newport Beach
Time Frame: September 2024 to April 2025
Court: U.S. District Court, Santa Ana
Maximum Penalty: 30 years in federal prison
According to federal prosecutors, Makhijani controlled Newport Beach-based Cantor Group V LLC, which had a lending relationship with a bank identified in court documents as Bank #1. Under the agreement, the bank advanced nearly $100 million to Cantor to originate or purchase loans secured by real estate.
Prosecutors allege Cantor was required to pledge loans backed by a first-position lien, giving the bank primary rights to foreclose on the underlying property in the event of a default.
To verify those liens, the bank required title insurance policies demonstrating Cantor’s first-lien status.
According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, between September 2024 and April 2025, Makhijani falsified title insurance policies to falsely show Cantor held first-lien positions on certain properties when other creditors were actually ahead of Cantor in priority.
Investigators allege Makhijani or a subordinate altered the policies using Adobe software and then removed or modified metadata, including printing and rescanning documents to conceal the changes.
Federal authorities further allege Makhijani directed an employee to submit the altered policies to the bank and later provided false explanations during teleconferences and in a spreadsheet submitted to the lender in December 2024.
Prosecutors say the bank relied on the allegedly fraudulent information when making lending decisions. Had it known the true value of the pledged collateral, the bank would have considered Cantor in default and demanded immediate repayment of nearly $100 million.
In August 2025, Bank #1 filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court related to the alleged scheme.
A criminal complaint contains allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
If convicted, Makhijani faces up to 30 years in federal prison.