San Diego
A San Diego man was sentenced to 15 months in prison Monday for helping his bosses swindle $6 million from investors who bought old coins from an Orange County business.
Brian Thompson, 28, formerly of Orange, had pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud stemming from his activities as sales administrator of the now-defunct Marco Numismatics, which operated in Costa Mesa from 1985 to 1988, said Assistant U.S. Atty. Thomas J. Umberg.
Besides the prison term, U.S. District Judge J. Spencer Letts, sitting in Santa Ana, ordered Thompson to pay $7,000 restitution, Umberg said.
The sentencing ends a case that saw seven men found guilty of federal crimes linked to the scam. Some were convicted at trial; others pleaded guilty.
The father-son team that ran the business, Vincent L. Caterino, 59, of Riverside and James N. Caterino, 29, of Costa Mesa, were sentenced to prison this month for masterminding the high-pressure phone sales operation. They were convicted of conspiracy, mail fraud and wire fraud.
Salesmen persuaded investors to buy rare or old coins that were vastly overvalued.
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