Freddie Mac CFO found dead

David Kellermann, acting chief financial officer since the government takeover of Freddie Mac, was found dead in his Virginia home. The death is under investigation.

Reporting from Washington -- The acting chief financial officer of Freddie Mac, an embattled government-owned company that controls millions of home mortgages, was found dead today of apparent suicide in his suburban Virginia home.Fairfax County Police were called to the Vienna, Va.-area home of Freddie Mac's David Kellermann at 4:48 a.m. to investigate. Though it appeared to be suicide, they said the cause of death is under investigation, with an autopsy planned today.

Kellermannn, 41, had served as acting chief financial officer for Freddie Mac since September and worked there for 16 years.McLean, Va.-based Freddie Mac has faced intense criticism for reckless practices that some believe contributed to the housing crisis at the heart of a financial economic meltdown and recession. Chief Executive David Moffett resigned last month.Freddie Mac owns or guarantees about 13 million home loans. Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, which together own or back more than half of the home mortgages in the nation, have been hobbled by loan defaults and collected $60 billion in federal aid.
Kellermann was named acting chief financial officer after the resignation of Anthony "Buddy" Piszel, who stepped down after the September 2008 federal government takeover of Freddie Mac.Fairfax County Police were called to Kellermann's home on Raleigh Hill Road in the Vienna area, a suburban community near Washington, D.C., with the department's information officer Mary Anne Jennings initially reporting that they were called from the home "to come investigate an apparent suicide."Kellerman was found dead inside the home, according to Fairfax County Police Officer Shelley Broderick."It is under investigation," Broderick said, with an autopsy planned today. "There are no signs of foul play."Foul play would indicate a crime had been committed, Broderick said, adding: "Suicide is not a crime."Kellerman, a 16-year veteran of Freddie Mac, had served as senior vice president, corporate comptroller and principal accounting officer before becoming acting chief financial officer in September.