Woman Sentenced in Leasing Scam
The fourth and final defendant in a leasing scam that led to the collapse of Bank of Newport was sentenced Monday to one month in prison, 11 months of home detention and ordered to pay a $3,000 fine, according to the U.S. attorney in Los Angeles.
Nancy Givens, 67, a tax preparer from Bellflower, pleaded guilty in January to helping Charles and Lucy Rau orchestrate an equipment leasing scam that defrauded Bank of Newport of $12 million. Earlier this year, the Raus, who operated the Costa Mesa-based Sonora Group, were sentenced to more than 5 years in prison each and ordered to pay $4.3 million in restitution.
Givens had posed as a “straw” lessee for a forklift that she never received or made payments on, according to assistant U.S. Atty. Richard Robinson. U.S. District Judge George King gave Givens a lighter sentence because she is the caretaker for her 90-year-old mother, Robinson said.
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