California Mortgage Company Owner Gets 10 Years In Prison; Used Firm As Front For Identity Theft Scheme

In Southern California, the North County Times reports:

• "A Vista man who authorities say ran an identity-theft ring on behalf of a white supremacist prison gang pleaded guilty Wednesday in Orange County Superior Court to 24 counts of theft and forgery. Authorities say he may be just one of nearly 100 people involved in a larger criminal operation. Michael Alexander Hartsell, 50, owner of Vista-based First Choice Mortgage, faced 96 years in prison if convicted of all 187 counts against him ... [and] was sentenced to 10 years."

Reportedly, three of Hartsell's co-defendants have also entered plea agreements. William Andrew Padworski, 47, (2 years 8 months) of Oceanside, Patricia Ann Mcintosh, 42, (yet to be sentenced) of Vista, and Natasha Chiara DiLorenzo, 31, (2 years) of Oceanside, have received prison sentences. A fourth co-defendant, Laurrisa Laurrainne Ballow, 39, was a fugitive until her June 2 arrest on unrelated charges, and is currently in custody pending arraignment. For more, see Vista man gets 10 years in ID theft plea deal.