Francis R. Conti, 42, Erie, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to thirty‑three months in jail and ordered to pay $46,183.91 in restitution on his conviction of conspiracy and mail fraud.

United States District Judge Sean J. McLaughlin imposed the sentence on Conti. According to information presented to the court by Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold, Conti and others conspired to falsify mortgage loan applications for home buyers who could not have otherwise obtained a mortgage. Conti and others also accompanied prospective home buyers to the buyers' banks and deposited money into the buyers accounts to make it appear as if the buyers had higher account balances.

United States Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan made the announcement.  Ms. Buchanan commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation and the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General, for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Conti.