Some of the defendants in a federal mortgage scheme we’ve been following made their first appearance in court today.
But the man at the center of the scheme, Jim McConville, is still on the run.
Reporters from the Bay Area’s ABC affiliate went to court and aired this story tonight:
The scheme was the focus of our Staggering Swindle investigation last year. McConville used rented identities to buy 81 condos in Escondido and San Marcos in 2008, pulling $12.5 million from the deals, and had other real estate deals up and down the state.
The court appearance is the latest step in the federal case, which is being heard in San Francisco federal courts. Prosecutors levied fraud and money laundering charges related to the scheme a couple of weeks ago.
— KELLY BENNETT