Medinah Real Estate Broker George Dravilas Sentenced in Straw-Buyer Mortgage Fraud Caught by FBI Sting

Case from 2014–2015 (U.S. Attorney's Office latest release: July 15, 2015). Published on Scammers.com Oct. 16, 2026; case status is current as of that date.

George Dravilas, a real estate broker from Medinah, was sentenced on July 15, 2015, to 16 months in federal prison for a mortgage fraud scheme that tried to sell two run-down Chicago two-flats at inflated prices to straw buyers, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Illinois announced [1]. The "straw buyers" turned out to be undercover agents.

How the scheme worked

According to Dravilas' plea agreement and the 2014 complaint, as described by prosecutors [1] [2]:

1. The setup: A cooperating witness, arrested in January 2013, posed as a crooked mortgage broker. Two undercover agents posed as straw buyers.
2. Inflated sales: Dravilas arranged to sell two-flats in the 6300 block of South Parnell Avenue and the 6600 block of South Sangamon Street for $275,000 each. He admitted their fair market value was $45,000 and $47,000.
3. Kickbacks: He agreed to kick back $100,000 per deal to the straw buyers out of the loan proceeds and keep a fee himself.
4. Fake paperwork: He supplied purchase contracts, title commitments, inflated leases and money for inflated appraisals. Standard Bank stood to lose a combined $458,000, he acknowledged. He also admitted mortgage fraud involving two other Chicago properties.

The people involved

George Dravilas, 37, Medinah, Ill.

• Plea (February 2015): one count of bank fraud.
• Sentence (July 15, 2015): 16 months in prison and $463,110 in restitution, imposed by U.S. District Judge Gary Feinerman [1].

Bridget Hutcherson, 40, Chicago

• Pleaded guilty in April 2015 to one count of bank fraud, admitting she took $600 in December 2013 to give a confidential informant fake W-2s, check stubs and earnings statements in the straw buyers' names [1]. Her sentencing was set for Aug. 10, 2015; we did not find the outcome in public sources.

The case was investigated by HUD-OIG and the FBI through the South Suburban Financial Crimes Task Force.

Red flags

• Offers to "buy" a property in your name with cash back at closing.
• Anyone selling you pay stubs or W-2s for a loan application.
• Sale prices far above what similar buildings on the block sold for.

What to do if you're targeted

1. Never lend your name or identity to a property purchase you don't intend to live in or pay for; straw buyers can face criminal charges and ruined credit.
2. Report mortgage fraud to the FBI at tips.fbi.gov or HUD-OIG at hudoig.gov/hotline.

Case status (as of Oct. 16, 2026)

Defendant	Court	Status as of Oct. 16, 2026	Source
George Dravilas, Medinah, Ill.	N.D. Ill. (Judge Feinerman)	Pleaded guilty Feb. 2015; sentenced July 15, 2015, to 16 months; $463,110 restitution	[1]
Bridget Hutcherson, Chicago	N.D. Ill. (Judge Feinerman)	Pleaded guilty April 2015 to bank fraud; sentence not found in public sources	[1]

The sentence was imposed in 2015; we have not found a source on Dravilas' current custody status.

Sources

1. U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Illinois, "West Suburban Real Estate Broker Sentenced To 16 Months In Federal Prison For Mortgage Fraud Scam," July 15, 2015. https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndil/pr/west-suburban-real-estate-broker-sentenced-16-months-federal-prison-mortgage-fraud-scam
2. U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Illinois, "Two Defendants Arrested And Charged In Alleged Mortgage Fraud Scheme Involving Federal Undercover Investigation," May 14, 2014. https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndil/pr/two-defendants-arrested-and-charged-alleged-mortgage-fraud-scheme-involving-federal

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