The acting chief financial officer for Freddie Mac (FRE), David Kellermann, was found dead early Wednesday at his home, local police said.

His wife told local police that Kellermann, 41 years old, committed suicide, Washington, D.C., television station WUSA reported, citing sheriff's deputies in Fairfax County, Va. Police found the body after responding to a call from family members around 5 a.m., Radio station WTOP reported on it's Web site, citing Fairfax County Police.

Kellermann became acting chief financial officer of Freddie Mac in September, replacing Anthony S. Piszel amid a broader overhaul of top management. He had previously been the company's controller and principal accounting officer.

Kellermann's job made him responsible for financial controls and reporting at Freddie Mac, a housing financier backed by the federal government. He had been with the company for more than 16 years, starting as a financial analyst and auditor in 1992, according to the company's Web site.

Freddie Mac, along with its sibling Fannie Mae, were taken over by the government in September in what would become a string of state interventions in financial services firms. The housing finance gaints have been hobbled by falling home prices and the subsequent deterioration in their investment portfolios. Freddie has received $30.8 billion in support from the government while Fannie has taken $15.2 billion.

The company's battered shares were lower in premarket trading.

-Dow Jones Newswires; 201-938-5500