Letitia James listed this Virginia house as her ‘primary residence’ — but neighbors say they’ve never seen her as NY AG faces mortgage fraud probe

NORFOLK, Virginia — New York Attorney General Letitia James listed a Virginia location 300 miles from her agency successful New York City arsenic her superior residence successful charismatic nationalist documents, The Post tin corroborate — but neighbors said Wednesday that they’ve ne'er seen her.

The humble three-bedroom, 2 bath location is now location to a female and her daughter, who moved successful conscionable a fewer months ago, according to group successful nan neighborhood.

Before that, a “husband and wife” lived successful nan $240,000 location for astir 4 years, said 1 neighbor, who has lived adjacent nan spot for 18 years and asked not to beryllium identified.

“I’ve only met [the caller resident] for illustration possibly 2 aliases 3 times. She seemed really nice,” nan neighbour added of nan caller residents. “The past clip I saw her was, like, possibly a week aliases truthful agone and she was conscionable extracurricular smoking a cigaret and we were talking astir her grandkids,” she said.

“It mightiness person been possibly a small spot much than 3 months that she moved successful because it was conscionable before,” nan neighbour besides said. “It’s decidedly not a year.”

The 1,450-square-foot location is astatine nan halfway of a federal criminal referral for owe fraud alleging James “falsified records” to get a much favorable indebtedness complaint erstwhile she purchased nan residence successful 2023 pinch her niece.

Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director William Pulte elaborate these and different allegations of James playing accelerated and loose pinch residency requirements successful a missive to Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche obtained by The Post.

The referral besides accused James, whose net is $220,000, of misrepresenting nan number of apartments for a building she owns successful Brooklyn — saying it has 4 units, erstwhile NYC Department of Buildings records opportunity it has five. That’s a cardinal favoritism because buildings pinch 4 aliases less units value for mortgages pinch amended terms.

“Ms. James was nan sitting Attorney General of New York and is required by rule to person her superior residence successful nan authorities of New York — moreover though her owe applications database her intent to person nan Norfolk, VA, spot arsenic her superior home,” nan missive stated.

“It appears Ms. James’ spot and mortgage-related misrepresentations whitethorn person continued to her caller 2023 Norfolk, VA spot acquisition successful bid to unafraid a little liking complaint and much favorable indebtedness terms,” Pulte wrote.

Pulte said this could magnitude to criminal charges, including ligament fraud, message fraud, slope fraud and mendacious statements to a financial institution, among others.

On Wednesday, James’ agency said she bought nan Norfolk spot pinch her niece. “Her niece lives successful nan location arsenic a superior residence and nan AG has been clear that she is not utilizing nan Virginia location arsenic her superior residence, because she lives successful New York,” nan connection said.

The connection besides lashed retired astatine nan Trump administration, saying “Donald Trump’s weaponization of nan national authorities continues to careen retired of power – and now they are utilizing cherry-picked accusation to onslaught nan Attorney General. We will person much to stock connected these governmental attacks, but nan AG and our agency stay focused connected protecting New Yorkers each azygous day.”

The embattled lawyer wide dodged reporters’ questions extracurricular her Brooklyn location Wednesday morning.

Asked astir nan lawsuit connected Fox News’ “America’s Newsroom” Wednesday, Bondi said her agency had only conscionable received nan referral. “We haven’t looked astatine it, of people we’ll beryllium reviewing it. You conscionable told maine much than I’ve heard astir it truthful far,” she told anchor Bill Hemmer.

Outside nan Norfolk property, a neighbour said his grandma had lived successful nan organization his full life but that he had ne'er seen James.

James — who infamously proclaimed “no 1 is supra nan law” erstwhile accusing President Trump of inflating nan worth of his properties for financial summation successful 2019 — is now embroiled successful a ungraded involving nan Virginia home, arsenic good arsenic her residence successful Brooklyn.

James granted power of attorney to Shamice Thompson-Hairston to sign an Aug. 17, 2023, archive authorizing nan acquisition of nan Virginia property, for which they secured a $219,780 mortgage, according to ineligible filings.

The archive was witnessed by First Deputy Attorney General Jennifer Levy and a New York authorities secretary, and notarized.

Pulte’s missive besides raises questions astir whether James lied astir nan number of units successful a three-story brownstone she owns successful Brooklyn.

The NYC Department of Buildings’ certificate of occupancy says nan building has 5 units, but James said connected some nan deed and owe that it only has four.

A dwelling pinch 5 aliases much units tin only suffice for commercialized loans nether national backing standards, meaning she apt would person gotten a amended owe complaint by representing nan location arsenic only containing four.

James’ agency said, “The Attorney General has been clear successful her financial filings that this is simply a 4 unit, owner-occupied building. The erstwhile Certificate of Occupancy from January 2001 that lists it arsenic a 5 portion building was revenge by nan erstwhile proprietor earlier nan Attorney General owned nan home.”

Speaking connected MSNBC’s “José Díaz-Balart Reports” Wednesday, Mayor Eric Adams said “It’s up to nan investigative bodies to do an unbiased investigation,” calling James “a longtime friend” and wishing her well.

Asked whether he believes nan probe is being launched for governmental reasons, he said James herself should reside that, noting that he believed erstwhile President Biden’s Justice Department was “politicized,” which Biden acknowledged arsenic good arsenic Trump.

“It’s imperative that our criminal justness agencies do what’s right,” he said.

City Council Speaker and Democratic mayoral campaigner Adrienne Adams was much blunt successful her appraisal of nan information down nan criminal referral.

“Letitia James has spent her profession opinionated up to powerful interests and fighting for mundane New Yorkers. Now she’s being targeted by a president who abuses nan powerfulness of nan national authorities to spell aft his enemies,” she told The Post.

Conservatives cheered James’ having to “eat her ain words” aft news of nan probe broke, including erstwhile governmental rivals.

Michael Henry, nan GOP campaigner who sought to unseat James arsenic lawyer wide successful 2022, turned her past statements against her successful a connection to The Post.

“No 1 is supra nan law. James has not denied nan legitimacy of nan documents. It should beryllium investigated to nan fullest grade of nan law,” said Henry, who antecedently worked successful nan owe manufacture earlier becoming an attorney.

“There are intelligibly immoderate issues here.”

At best, he said “there was thing miscommunicated connected her behalf galore times,” noting that moreover if James had a powerfulness of attorney, she should person publication each of nan documents successful nan spot records — particularly since she’s a lawyer and nan lawyer general.

Henry said nan full matter is “certainly ironic” fixed that James prosecuted Trump complete his business record.

— Additional reporting by Carl Campanile and Haley Brown