Foreclosure Rescue Operator Dodges Hard Prison Time, Gets One Year In County Jail After Guilty Plea To Ripping Off Financially Strapped Homeowners Of Over $100K With False Promises Of Mortgage Help; All But One Client Lost Homes To Bank

In Ventura, California, the Ventura County Star reports:

• A Canyon Lake man has been sentenced to jail for his part in a fraudulent real estate foreclosure rescue business, the Ventura County District Attorney's Office said Friday [February 17].
  
  Patrick Iturra, 46, was sentenced [] to 365 days in jail by Ventura County Superior Court Judge Matthew Guasco.
  
  In December, Iturra pleaded guilty to two felony counts of foreclosure consultant fraud and three counts of felony grand theft.
  
  He operated a business under the name of Mercury Business Group, promising homeowners he could save their properties from foreclosure, prosecutors said. In return, Iturra received thousands of dollars from homeowners, although he failed to help them, prosecutors said.
  
  Homeowners suffered more than $100,000 in losses and all but one of the victims lost their homes to foreclosure, prosecutors said.
  
  The charges came after an investigation by the District Attorney's Real Estate Fraud Unit.
  
  Iturra was also placed on 60 months of probation, ordered to pay $100,000 in restitution to the victims and prohibited from working in real estate or any business related to foreclosure rescue.
  
  He operated the business with Roberto Sanchez, 68, and Rosalva Sanchez, 63, both of Oxnard. They were earlier each sentenced to 180 days in jail and ordered to pay victim restitution after pleading guilty to felony grand theft and foreclosure consultant fraud, prosecutors said..

Source: Man sentenced to jail in foreclosure fraud case.