North Miami Ex-Mayor Gets 5.5 Years For Mortgage Fraud
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MIAMI (CBSMiami/AP) – The former mayor of North Miami has received a prison term of about 5.5. years for her role in a mortgage fraud scheme.
Lucie Tondreau was sentenced Tuesday by a federal judge.
Tondreau had been convicted in December of working with her ex-fiance and two other men to trick banks into loaning them $11 million between 2005 and 2008. Tondreau had been a widely-known and respected member of South Florida's Haitian community and used that position to gain the trust of fellow immigrants to act as straw buyers.
The straw buyers placed their names on loan applications and purchase homes they could not afford. Tondreau and her co-conspirators used the proceeds to purchase 20 homes and pocket cash.
The 55-year-old former mayor had faced up to 30 years in prison.
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