Nigerian man gets 30 years for mortgage fraud

A Nigerian national who admitted masterminding a multimillion-dollar mortgage fraud operation in Colorado has been sentenced to 30 years in prison. An Adams County judge sentenced 45-year-old Uto Essien after he was convicted of 4 felony counts of forgery, theft and racketeering. State authorities announced the sentence Friday and said that Essien will be deported after completing his sentence. Essien and nine others fraudulently obtained $10.9 million in mortgages to buy 34 properties around Denver between 2004 and 2006. Posted in: Internal Fraud