Erie Real Estate

33 months for Conti

Francis R. Conti, of Waterford, was sentenced to two years and nine months in federal prison this morning for his role in a widespread local mortgage fraud case.

U.S. District Judge Sean J. McLaughlin sentenced Conti on fraud and conspiracy charges during a 50-minute hearing at the federal courthouse in Erie.

McLaughlin also sentenced Conti to four years of supervised release after his prison term, and ordered the defendant to pay $46,183 in restitution to victims of the fraud scheme.

Conti is the last of five defendants in the case to be sentenced. Four other defendants have been sentenced to prison terms that range from one year and one month to six years and four months.

Were the sentences just  Too lienant?

Finney appeals - SURPRISE!!

Greg Finney is appealing his four-year, five-month prison sentence for mortgage fraud -- even though he gave up most of his appellate rights in pleading guilty.  

Finney has filed a one-page appeal notice in federal court asking the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to review his sentence.  He was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Sean J. McLaughlin on March 19.

The notice indicates Finney is handling the appeal himself, without the help of a lawyer. He originally pleaded not guilty to charges of fraud, conspiracy and money laundering, but changed his plea to guilty in August.

Let's make sure we have this right.  He pleaded not guilty.  Then he pleads guilty - what he just realized that he did it?  Now let's appeal.  Is he appealing because the sentence is too short?  If I recall correctly, didn't Dodsworth get 6 years?

Finney signed a plea agreement on Aug. 25 that waived his right to directly appeal his conviction or sentence, with a few exceptions.

According to the plea agreement, his sentence can be appealed if the federal government appeals it; if the sentence exceeds statutory limits; or if the sentence unreasonably exceeds federal sentencing guidelines.

Five people were charged in the case, and all have pleaded guilty.

Finney gets 4 years, 5 months

Greg Finney was sentenced to four years and five months in federal prison this afternoon for his role in a widespread Erie mortgage fraud scam.

U.S. District Court Judge Sean J. McLaughlin sentenced Finney, during an hourlong hearing at the federal courthouse in Erie.  Finney, became the third of five defendants charged in the case to receive a prison sentence.

Conti pleads

Frank Conti pleaded guilty to mail fraud and conspiracy charges this afternoon in relation to a widespread Erie mortgage fraud scheme.

Conti, 42, had pleaded not guilty following his February 2008 indictment on the charges. During a hearing today at the federal courthouse in Erie, Conti, a former mortgage broker, changed that plea to guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Sean J. McLaughlin.

McLaughlin scheduled Conti's sentencing for June 25.  Will he sentenced to more than Dodsworth?  We'll find out.

Get the full details.

Appraiser and Mortgage Fraud

Secretary of the Commonwealth Pedro A. Cortes today said Natalie Rose Hurlburt and Kristopher M. Porter have agreed to serious disciplinary sanctions for their roles in an Erie home mortgage scam.

The agreement followed an investigation of Hurlburt's business practices between 2003 and 2005.

Hurlburt, agreed to permanently surrender her real estate appraisal certificate. 

Kristopher M. Porter, a Hurlburt employee who also appraised homes involved in the mortgage scam, agreed to have his appraisal license suspended for four months and pay a civil penalty of $2,000, plus $1,000 for costs of the investigation, according to the Department of State.

 More.

Mortgage Fraud - Plea Change

Another defendant in a federal mortgage-fraud probe plans to change his not-guilty plea in the case.

U.S. District Judge Sean J. McLaughlin has scheduled a March 13 change-of-plea hearing for Francis R. Conti, 42, of Waterford, according to a hearing notice filed on Thursday.

A similar notice filed Tuesday stated that McLaughlin scheduled a Monday morning change-of-plea hearing for another defendant in the probe, 41-year-old Keith A. Rice of Harborcreek Township.

Both Conti and Rice had pleaded not guilty in the case shortly after they were indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2008 on fraud and conspiracy charges.

The two are among five people charged in the mortgage-fraud investigation so far. Three defendants have pleaded guilty, and two are currently serving federal prison sentences.

Read more.