Does anyone know of anyone anywhere really getting jail and/or fined for occupancy fraud?

Technically it isn't whether the property is in foreclosure or not in foreclosure, (if it's Washington, Oregon, California and a handful of other states it's treated even more seriously if the property is "distressed" or likely to become distressed in the future, that could be a criminal act) usually it's more the breach of trust and making a profit while doing so.When someone is charged with equity skimming they usually add bank fraud, wire fraud, Consumer Protection ACT, Dodd-Frank Act, deception and artifices and a couple others I can't think of at the moment. 

Say a mortgage payoff or an old lien or identity confusion or something that is very common and is an easy fix, it's just that it has to be    taken care of before closing.

Is it illegal,  not ethical, violation, red flag or fraud?

This will give you an idea if he is legit or a fraud.

Me and this colleague of mine have identical EA credentials... 

That would have turned me $100k in profit just by signing my name twice, giving the foreclosing lender cash, and selling the as-is home to the end user.It turns out, as I went to close, there was an emergency appeal on the foreclosure suit, claiming essentially what is improper foreclosure and mortgage fraud.

Funny how peoples identity is tied up in these things.  

Nobody is collecting any $ from either title insurer or anybody else for that matter (unless there is some fraud involved).

That means to me that it's a no lose proposition for perps doing ownership deed fraud.