Child abuse, mortgage fraud, condemned apartments: Clay County man sentenced to federal prison

CLAY COUNTY, Fla. — A Clay County man at the head of a nationwide mortgage fraud scheme was sentenced to two years and two months in federal prison on Wednesday.

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Brian Roy Lozito, 54, Orange Park, will spend that time in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

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According to court documents, Lozito owned and managed American Investigative Services (AIS). The Department of Justice said that AIS solicited customers across the county through mailings and telephone calls.

Lozito and AIS employees lied to customers that it would conduct “forensic audits” of mortgages. The purpose was to uncover flaws in mortgage documents. The services promised were to obtain quitclaim deeds and other solutions so mortgage holders wouldn’t owe debt. They would be able to own their properties, free, clear, and outright.

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“If AIS could not help the consumer, Lozito promised to refund their money,” the Department of Justice said in a statement. “In reality, AIS did not perform the services paid for by consumers and did not refund money to costumers.”

Money taken by AIS went right back into operating the business and for Lozito’s personal expenses.

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Action News Jax first reported on Lozito’s troubles in 2022 when an apartment complex he owned was condemned for sewage issues. Families had days to vacate their residents at the Blanchard Apartments in Love Grove.

Tenants avoided eviction when the City of Jacksonville’s social service team came out to clean up the mess. Lozito also paid the more than $7,400 in bills owed to JEA.

However, the problems for Lozito didn’t end there.

Lozito was arrested for violation of probation. He was originally arrested in 2019 for child abuse and was sentenced to three years of probation in 2021.

According to the original arrest report, a witness in a Walmart saw Lozito slap a child who was crying, which caused the child’s nose to bleed.

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For his involvement with the mortgage fraud, Lozito will pay restitution to the victims he scammed. He will also forfeit $164,000, money that was made from the scheme.

The Department of Justice said this case was investigated by the United States Secret Service -- Jacksonville Field the Consumer Protection Division of the Office of the Attorney General with valuable assistance from the Clay County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.

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