Prison, house arrest imposed in mortgage fraud

November 15, 2013 at 8:36a.m.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A former mortgage broker convicted along with a former Philadelphia-area pastor in a $6 million mortgage fraud scheme has been sentenced to 10 days in a federal prison followed by eight months of house arrest with weekends in a halfway house.

The Delaware County Daily Times says 43-year-old Denise Haines was also ordered Thursday to join co-defendants in paying $1.35 million in restitution.

Haines and 47-year-old Michael Wilkerson Sr., former pastor of New Millennium Life Restoration Fellowship, were convicted in federal court of bank fraud and other counts.

Authorities say Wilkerson lived in one property and rented four others out to straw buyer congregants but later said they had to pay the mortgages, which went into default.

Wilkerson was sentenced earlier to more than 14 years in prison.