Woman Sentenced To Six Months Incarceration For Helping Her Husband Defraud Banks

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to six months incarceration at a community confinement center, plus five years supervised release on her conviction of charge of bank fraud conspiracy, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.

United States District Judge Joy Flowers Conti imposed the sentence on Beth B. Baker, 62, of Sewickley Heights, Pennsylvania.

According to the information presented to the court, Beth B. Baker conspired with her husband, David F. Baker, to defraud J.P. Morgan and Washington Mutual Bank in false mortgage applications in 2005 and 2007 regarding their purchase of a $2.5 million dollar condominium in Sarasota, Florida.

Judge Conti stated that mortgage fraud is a serious crime, and that Baker made material misrepresentations on loan applications in order to purchase an expensive condominium in Florida.

Assistant United States Attorney Gregory C. Melucci prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

U.S. Attorney Hickton commended the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Beth B. Baker.