Crime & Safety
Mission Viejo Loan Mod Scammer Sent to Prison
Andrew Michael Phalen will spend time behind bars after defrauding hundreds of victims.
On Wednesday morning, a judge sentenced Andrew Michael Phalen, 25, Mission Viejo, to a year in prison and five years of formal probation.
Phalen was convicted of sending out phony loan modification letters to hundreds of Americans at risk of losing their homes. He was also convicted of helping set up various businesses, phone numbers and addresses to disguise his identity.
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There are "hundreds" of known victims in both California and throughout the country, county prosecutors say. They've traced $200,000 in losses from the scam.
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