BAKERSFIELD, CA -- David Crisp and his wife Jennifer walked hand-in-hand in silence into court Monday afternoon, their fate soon to be sealed by a package plea deal that will see both serve federal prison time.
Prosecutors say Crisp defrauded mortgage lenders by conspiring with a handful of employees, his wife and other family members to lie on loan documents to buy dozens of homes with no money down. Prosecutors say they then obtained inflated appraisals to sell the homes at bloated amounts and then pocket the profits.
Former Crisp and Cole operations manager Julie Farmer--is the only defendant of the ten not to take a plea deal. Her attorney Tony Capozzi told the judge his defense will suggest Farmer was unaware what she was doing was illegal--that she was filing loan documents in the same way as everyone else in the industry.
Farmer's attorney has filed legal papers to force David and Jennifer Crisp to testify at trial. And he's hired a psychologist to analyze Farmer, suggesting Farmer was not of the mental fortitude to pull off such a criminal conspiracy.
Farmer's trial is set for February 4. David and Jennifer Crisp are set to be sentenced on March 3. The prosecutor says he could face up to 30 years in prison. And she up to 20 years.
Prosecutors say Crisp defrauded mortgage lenders by conspiring with a handful of employees, his wife and other family members to lie on loan documents to buy dozens of homes with no money down. Prosecutors say they then obtained inflated appraisals to sell the homes at bloated amounts and then pocket the profits.
Former Crisp and Cole operations manager Julie Farmer--is the only defendant of the ten not to take a plea deal. Her attorney Tony Capozzi told the judge his defense will suggest Farmer was unaware what she was doing was illegal--that she was filing loan documents in the same way as everyone else in the industry.
Farmer's attorney has filed legal papers to force David and Jennifer Crisp to testify at trial. And he's hired a psychologist to analyze Farmer, suggesting Farmer was not of the mental fortitude to pull off such a criminal conspiracy.
Farmer's trial is set for February 4. David and Jennifer Crisp are set to be sentenced on March 3. The prosecutor says he could face up to 30 years in prison. And she up to 20 years.