Victims applaud mortgage fraud jail term in Pa.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Victims applauded as a Pennsylvania man was sentenced to over 13 years in prison for tricking homeowners into turning their houses over to him then evicting them.

A federal judge in Philadelphia ordered 47-year-old Gennaro Rauso taken into custody immediately after his sentencing Monday. KYW-AM reports victims who attended the hearing clapped as he was led from the courtroom in handcuffs.

Prosecutors say Rauso offered to rescue more than 200 struggling homeowners by offering them a deal that was too good to be true.

Officials say Rauso got his victims to sign over their properties in return for a promise to pay off the mortgage and rent the property back to the owners. But victims say Rauso took their money and homes then dumped them on the street.