Pair Pays "Significant" Restitution To 'Buy Out' Of Prison Time For Using Fraudulently Obtained Mortgage Loan To Steal Senior Couple's Home Equity

From the Office of the Nevada Attorney General:

• District Court Judge Linda Bell sentenced Thomas F. Gentile, age 56, to six months in the Clark County Detention Center in connection with an equity skimming case. Gentile, who conspired with Justin Sabo to defraud a local couple of the equity in their home, pled guilty to one count of Theft –Obtaining Money in Excess of $2500.

• The charges stemmed from the group’s involvement in a scheme to fraudulently obtain a mortgage loan against a property owned by Gentile’s former employer without his knowledge or consent. The victims are both over the age of 60.

• Gentile was sentenced to serve a term of 24 to 120 months in the Nevada State Prison for his part in the scheme. The sentence was suspended but Gentile was ordered to spend the first six months in county jail.(1) "It is appropriate that an individual who took advantage of an elderly couple in such a egregious fashion is being brought to justice," said Attorney General Masto.

• Gentile’s co-defendant was given probation for his part in the crime as well. He avoided jail by paying a significant amount of restitution to the victims which included the homeowners and the hard money lenders who provided the money for the loan. The restitution order mandates that the defendants repay the costs and attorney fees incurred by the victims in their civil case filed to clear the title to the property.

For the Nevada AG press release, see Local Man Incarcerated In Connection With Mortgage Scam Against Senior Citizens.

(1) Compared to spending time in state prison, being sentenced to county jail instead is not that much worse than a kid being kept after school for detention (unless it's at Rikers' Island).