Ex-Indiana mortgage loan officer charged with fraud, forgery and counterfeiting

MUNCIE, Ind. — A Delaware County woman faces over 10 felony charges for allegedly filing fake documents while working as a mortgage loan officer in Muncie.

Laura Sue Mickler, 41, of Yorktown, was charged earlier this month in Delaware County with four counts each of fraud, forgery and counterfeiting. The charges stem from allegedly fake filings made by Mickler, a former loan officer for Ruoff Mortgage Co. and Movement Mortgage Co.

Court documents state that Mickler worked at Ruoff Mortgage Company in Muncie from February 2017 to October 2022. Police say she resigned as loan officer after the company found possible fraud associated with her loans.

An investigation by the Federal Housing Finance Agency and HUD reportedly revealed several instances of fraudulent documentation being filed on home mortgage loans that were tied to or approved by Mickler.

In one instance while at Ruoff, Mickler allegedly approved an application that said a woman had $10,000 in a local bank account. However, investigators say that the account actually contained only $5. When asked about the account that allegedly had $10,000, the woman said it was fake.

Investigators uncovered two similar instances from Mickler’s portfolio while working at Ruoff. In one of these, a loan application claimed a couple trying to buy a house in Muncie had over $2,000 in a savings account that did not exist. Another claimed that a man trying to buy a home in Eaton had his car loans paid by an employer, which was later determined to be false.

Court documents detail how, after resigning from her position at Ruoff, Mickler took a loan officer position at Movement Mortgage Company. The investigation into Mickler uncovered at least one fraudulent loan filing from during her time at Movement.

In this instance, Mickler reportedly was tied to a loan application in January 2023 for someone to purchase a home in Gaston. While the documentation claimed the homebuyer had over $5,500 in the bank, the investigation showed the account’s balance was actually around $700.

When the investigation into Mickler concluded, officials said they had uncovered various forms of bogus checks, forged signatures and fraudulent bank statements all tied to her.

Mickler was charged on July 1 in Delaware Circuit Court 4 with four counts of felony fraud, four counts of felony counterfeiting and four counts of felony forgery. Court records show Mickler was arrested on July 8 and has since been released from the Delaware County Jail on a $60,000 bond.

An initial hearing in Mickler’s case is now scheduled for 9 a.m. on Aug. 11, 2025, in front of Judge John M. Feick.