Crawford properties were bought low, sold high and financed by Tempo Bank loans
Metro-east developer Gregg Crawford and his companies have bought at least 15 homes in Belleville and on its Swansea border at low prices and sold them for 10 to 40 times more within days, weeks or months, according to St. Clair County parcel records.
All of the buyers got loans from the former Tempo Bank in Trenton, where Crawford’s brother-in-law, Francis “Frank” Eversman, worked as a senior loan officer.
In all but one case, the companies, Main Street Redevelopers and Mid America Contracting, regained control of the properties when buyers transferred ownership to them via quit-claim deeds.
Crawford, 65, of Columbia, and Eversman, 74, of Collinsville, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud on June 23 in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois.
According to court documents, they admitted to working together on a scheme that involved recruiting straw buyers who pretended to purchase highly overvalued properties from Crawford or his companies and got mortgage loans from Tempo Bank.
Prosecutors with the U.S. attorney’s office didn’t identify the addresses or cities involved in the scheme.
Below is a list of the 15 homes in Belleville and on its Swansea border bought at low prices and sold quickly at much higher prices to Tempo Bank borrowers, according to parcel records and information from the recorder of deeds office.
In each case, buyers and sellers are named in the public records. The BND is withholding their names to avoid casting suspicion on people who haven’t been charged with crimes.
211 Abend St. — Crawford bought this 1870s brick home in Belleville for $69,000 on Aug. 7, 2013, and sold it for $300,000 on Nov. 22, 2013, to an individual, who got a mortgage loan from Tempo Bank. The individual sold it back to Main Street Redevelopers for $288,000 in 2018, and Main Street sold it to a second individual for $180,000 in 2021. She occupies the home.
303 N. Jackson St. — A limited-liability company bought this two-story brick home in Belleville for $25,000 in 2012 from a couple and transferred ownership to Main Street Redevelopers via quit-claim deed on June 24, 2016. The same day, Main Street sold it for $250,000 to an individual. Both the original LLC and individual buyer got mortgage loans from Tempo Bank. In 2021, the individual transferred ownership to Mid America Contracting via quit-claim deed. The home is vacant and deteriorating.
420 State St. — Main Street Redevelopers bought this two-story home in Belleville for $27,500 on July 15, 2014, from an individual and sold it for $238,000 on Aug. 1, 2014, to another individual, who got a mortgage loan from Tempo Bank. In 2021, she transferred ownership to Mid America Contracting via quit-claim deed. The home is vacant.
234 Lebanon Ave. — Main Street Redevelopers bought this historic two-story frame home in Belleville for $50,000 on June 13, 2014, from an individual and sold it for $274,000 on June 24, 2014, to another individual, who got a mortgage loan from Tempo Bank. In 2020, he transferred ownership to Mid America Contracting via quit-claim deed. The home is vacant.
14 Granvue Drive — Main Street Redevelopers bought this two-story brick home in Belleville for $43,000 on Feb. 10, 2015, from a Texas bank and sold it for $263,000 on March 6, 2015, to an individual, who got a mortgage loan from Tempo Bank. In 2021, he transferred ownership to Mid America Contracting via quit-claim deed. The home is vacant.
520 E. C St. — Crawford bought this 2 1/2-story brick home in Belleville for $63,500 on Nov. 25, 2013, from a government agency and sold it for $288,000 on Dec. 16, 2013, to an individual, who sold it for the same amount on Aug. 4, 2016, to another individual. Both individuals got mortgage loans from Tempo Bank. In 2021, the second individual transferred ownership to Mid America via quit-claim deed. The home is occupied by a renter.
1015 Caseyville Ave. — Main Street Redevelopers bought this 1800s brick home painted blue in Belleville for $25,000 on Jan. 12, 2016, from a Columbia bank and sold it for $174,900 on Jan. 28, 2016, to an individual, who got a mortgage loan from Tempo Bank. In 2020, he transferred ownership to Mid America Contracting via quit-claim deed. The home was demolished earlier this year after being condemned by the city.
505 Abend St. — Crawford bought this late-1800s stucco-covered, two-story brick home in Belleville for $5,400 on Dec. 20, 2013, from a couple and sold it for $238,000 on Jan. 30, 2014, to an individual, who got a mortgage loan from Tempo Bank. In 2020, he transferred ownership to Main Street Redevelopers via quit-claim deed, and Main Street transferred it to Mid America Contracting. The home was demolished in 2019. Mid America sold the vacant lot to an individual for $1,000 in 2023.
308 N. Virginia Ave. — Main Street Redevelopers bought this early 1900s craftsman home in Belleville for $78,000 on Nov. 26, 2014, from a company and sold it for $265,000 on Dec. 19, 2014, to an individual, who got a mortgage loan from Tempo Bank. In 2021, he transferred ownership to Mid America Contracting via quit-claim deed. Mid America sold it for $193,000 on March 27 of this year to another individual. He occupies the home.
800 E. D St. — Main Street Redevelopers bought this frame home in Belleville for $60,000 on May 14, 2014, from an individual and sold it for $285,000 on May 29, 2014, to another individual, who got a mortgage loan from Tempo Bank. In 2021, she transferred ownership to Mid America Contracting via quit-claim deed. Mid America sold it for $174,000 to a couple in 2023. The home is occupied.
609 S. Jackson St. — Crawford bought this 1890s two-story brick home in Belleville for $65,000 on Oct. 4, 2013, from an individual and sold it for $280,000 on Oct. 17, 2013, to another individual, who got a mortgage loan from Tempo Bank. In 2018, he transferred ownership to Main Street Redevelopers via quit-claim deed. The home is vacant and deteriorating.
603 Mascoutah Ave. — Main Street Redevelopers bought this 1800s frame duplex with a mansard roof in Belleville for $12,000 on Jan. 14, 2015, from a government agency and sold it for $240,000 on June 24, 2015, to an individual, who got a mortgage loan from Tempo Bank. Main Street continued to pay property taxes some years, and Tempo released the individual from her mortgage in 2021. But she didn’t transfer ownership via quit-claim deed. The duplex is vacant. The individual’s name is still on the deed, but she’s close to forfeiting it to a limited-liability company that purchased two of three years of her delinquent property tax bills.
401 S. Jackson St. — Main Street Redevelopers bought this 1901 frame home with a Dutch colonial front in Belleville for $35,000 on July 24, 2015, from three partners and sold it for $248,000 on Aug. 24, 2015, to an individual, who got a mortgage loan from Tempo Bank. In 2020, she transferred ownership to Mid America Contracting via quit-claim deed. The home was demolished last fall after being condemned by the city.
218 S. Charles St. — Main Street Redevelopers bought this 1854 two-story Greek Revival home in Belleville for $53,000 on June 9, 2014, from a limited-liability company and sold it for $295,000 on June 19, 2014, to an individual. She sold it for $298,000 in 2017 to another individual. Both individuals got mortgage loans from Tempo Bank. In 2020, the second individual transferred ownership to Mid America Contracting via quit-claim deed. Mid America sold the home to a third individual for $25,000 on May 14, 2021, and that individual sold it for $52,500 on June 23, 2021, to a limited-liability company. That LLC owner occupies the home.
112 Gilbert St. — Main Street Redevelopers bought this 2 1/2-story home on the Belleville-Swansea border for $13,000 on Nov. 25, 2015, from an individual and sold it for $188,000 on Dec. 29, 2015, to another individual, who got a mortgage loan from Tempo Bank. In 2020, he transferred ownership to Mid America Contracting via quit-claim deed. The home was demolished between 2013 and 2019.
This story was originally published July 28, 2025 at 5:31 AM.
