LOS ANGELES - Two top managers at Westwood-based mortgage brokerage company were arrested today for scamming distressed homeowners in connection with a foreclosure avoidance and equity skimming fraud, according to the U.S. Justice Department.

Federal authorities arrested David Singui, 49, of Inglewood and Aziz Meghi, 35, of Los Angeles. A third defendant, Kiet Truong, 27, of Hawthorne, surrendered to authorities Thursday. A fourth defendant, Starr Smith, 31, of Long Beach, is a fugitive.

According to federal prosecutors, this is how the scam worked:

The company, Direct Money Source, held itself out as a company with a "Fresh Start Program" that told distressed homeowners who were trying to avoid foreclosure that they would have their properties purchased by so-called "credit investors." These investors would hod properties for 12 months and then sell them back to the original home owners after they restored their credit ratings.

Instead, Money Source, was an equity-skimming operation that took possession of distressed homeowners' equity under fraudulent pretenses.

The scheme allegedly defrauded mortgage lenders of more than $15 million in loan proceeds involving about 50 properties,  say federal authorities.

PHOENIX - A federal judge on Wednesday sentenced a methamphetamine trafficker to more than seven years in prison, according to the FBI.

Roberto Benjamin Chavez, 58, of Yuma, Arizona was involved in a methamphetamine distribution ring between September 2010 and April 2011. Chavez received the methamphetamine from a Mexican-based supplier, according to the FBI.

WASHINGTON - Two stock promoters, a securities lawyer and a stock trader were sentenced Thursday for their participation in a stock manipulation scheme that defrauded investors in a company called CO2 Technologies, according to the U.S. Justice Department officials.

A federal  judge in Miami sentenced Michael Krome, 50, a securities attorney from New York to nearly three years in prison. Stock promoters Timothy Barham Jr., 44, of Tennessee, and Robert Weidenbaum, 46, of Miami, were sentenced to more than a year in prison each.

CHICAGO  - The federal  government conducted a nationwide, Medicare fraud crackdown in seven cities that resulted in charges against 107 people, including doctors, nurses, and other medical professions,  the U.S. Department of Justice announced today.

The persons arrested allegedly participated in Medicare fraud schemes involving about $452 million in false billing, say federal authorities.

This coordinated takedown by the Medicare Fraud Strike Force is the highest amount of Medicare billing crackdown strike force history, according to officials.

In addition to making arrests, federal agents also executed 20 search warrants in connection with an ongoing investigation, say federal officials.

 Arrests were made in Chicago; Miami;Tampa, Florida; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Houston and Detroit. In Los Angeles, eight defendants, including two doctors, were charged in schemes to defraud Medicare of about $14 million.

In one case in Los Angeles,two people allegedly billed Medicare for more than $8 million in false claims for medically unnecessary services, including home health, psychotherapy, and infusion therapy.

WASHINGTON-- Federal authorities seized 36 domain names of websites engaged in the illegal sale and distribution of stolen credit card numbers.

The seizures are the result of an FBI and U.S. Justice Department operation  targeting the sale of stolen credit cards via the Internet,  federal officials announced Thursday.

The websites of the seized domain names are commonly referred to as Automatic Vending Carts or AVCs, say federal officials. AVCs allow a user to buy stolen credit card data over the Internet, even using an online shopping cart, just like a traditional online retailer, say officials.