Conman convinced victims to stop paying their lenders and start paying him instead
A West Hollywood man has been sentenced to more than 12 ½ years in prison for defrauding more than 2,000 homeowners and causing $7.6 million in losses.
Patrick Joseph Soria, 35, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of contempt of court. US District Judge Dale Fischer called Soria “a skilful conman who created a very sophisticated scheme. Judge Fischer said that it wasn’t “the largest case I have presided over in terms of dollars, but it is the most brazen and heartless.”
Authorities said that Soria defrauded home buyers around the country for over three years – using phony title filings at county recorders’ offices to make it seem that he owned the properties that he then “sold” to victims. Soria used their money for his personal expenses, including escort services and rentals of luxury cars.
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Moreover, he tricked his victims into thinking he could take over their mortgage from their lender and reduce their mortgage payments. He even got them to ignore foreclosure and evictions notices that lenders started sending when they hadn’t received their payments. As a result, many of the homeowners lost their homes, according to case documents.
The properties involved were located in California, Texas, New York, and Nevada.
