The leader of a Nevada City-based mortgage fraud scheme has been sentenced by a Federal judge in Sacramento to 15 years in prison. Assistant U.S Attorney, Audrey Hemesath says Chris Castle was not from the local area. But he led a conspiracy that ran a “mortgage elimination program” that purported to help distressed homeowners facing possible foreclosure. As a requirement for participation, the conspirators enrolled homeowners as members in a Nevada City-based church or its successor entity, the Pillow Foundation….

click to listen to Audrey Hemesath

Castle had also recruited other homeowners into the scheme. Once victims enrolled, Hemesath says he told them that these entities would offer protection against the banks. She says Castle would cause a sham deed of trust to be created and recorded…

click to listen to Audrey Hemesath

The only co-defendant who was actually from Nevada City, John DiChiara, died in 2019 while awaiting trial. All cases, which involved five other co-defendants, have been resolved, with only one still scheduled for sentencing in June.