They promised to help save homes from foreclosure. Prosecutors say it was a scam.

Two men from Cincinnati and a Hamilton man are among 11 people charged in a nationwide foreclosure relief scam that prosecutors say involved defrauding people who faced losing their homes.

A 26-count indictment unsealed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Cincinnati says the defendants promoted programs that supposedly would reduce or eliminate mortgage debt in exchange for a fee.

The programs were fraudulent, U.S. Attorney Benjamin Glassman said in a statement. "The defendants performed virtually no negotiations on behalf of the homeowners and never successfully purchased a mortgage note or provided a new, lower-cost mortgage."

Instead, prosecutors say the defendants paid others "in Ponzi-like fashion" and enriched themselves. Those charged also include people from Florida, Virginia, New York and New Jersey.

More than 50 victims were in the federal district that covers the southern half of Ohio, prosecutors said.

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The indictment says the defendants claimed they had “proprietary” methods to help homeowners stall or completely avoid foreclosure. In actuality, the indictment says they persuaded homeowners to file for Chapter 13 bankruptcy, which amounted to temporary relief until a judge dismissed the case.

Prosecutors allege the defendants were involved in a multilevel marketing scheme that promised commissions to people who recruited homeowners facing foreclosure to one of the companies that would supposedly help them.

The companies named in the indictment include:

• MVP Home Solutions, also known as Stay In or Walk Away;
• Bolden Pinnacle Group Corp., also known as Home Advisory Services Network or Home Advisory Services Group;
• Silverstein and Wolf Corp.

According to the indictment: The salespeople were encouraged to recruit homeowners to the companies on the promise of easy money.

Salespeople used online databases and court records to identify vulnerable, financially distressed homeowners who had recently received foreclosure notices, the indictment says.

Some defendants mailed more than 22,000 postcards promising they could “stop foreclosure” or “stop the sheriff sale” for a fee that exceeded the amount advertised, the indictment says. They also reached out to homeowners through Craigslist ads, websites, emails and social media.

Initial recruiters would collect payments from homeowners and refer the victims to one of the co-conspirator companies.

Among the 11 charged is: Lorin K. Buckner, 62, of Hamilton; Garrett Stevenson, 41, of Cincinnati; and Joel Harvey, 36, of Cincinnati.

Stevenson's attorney, Ty Foster, declined to comment. Buckner's attorney, Bill Gallagher, could not be reached for comment. Harvey did not yet have an attorney listed in court records.

They face charges including conspiracy and multiple counts of mail and wire fraud.

Anyone who believes they are a potential victim of this fraud is urged to contact the FBI at CIForeclosure@fbi.gov or 513-421-4310.