Former residential contractor sentenced to prison

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A federal judge has sentenced a former construction company owner to 6 months in prison for his role in a mortgage fraud scheme in Dane County.

According to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Madison, David Robert, 42, of Madison, conspired with Becky Ring and P. Edwin Gray and made false statements to Washington Mutual Bank to secure two mortgages for a home in Westport.

Ring was the owner of J.C. Mortgage Corp. and Gray was Robert’s accountant, according to the release. Gray lied about Robert’s income on a tax income form, which allowed him to qualify for loans he could not have obtained, while Ring was the mortgage broker for the deal and sent the documents to the bank.

At the time, Robert was the owner of residential construction companies Western Designs Inc. and Sterling Concepts Inc. Both companies dissolved in 2010, according to state records.

In addition to the prison sentence, Robert will serve two years supervised release and pay a $1,000 fine.

Gray pleaded guilty to mortgage fraud and was sentenced in October 2012 to probation. He paid $700 in restitution. Ring also pleaded guilty that year and was sentenced to probation. She paid $335,400 in restitution prior to her sentencing.

In her decision Thursday, Western District Judge Barbara Crabb ordered Robert to pay $336,100 in restitution, though, because he received credit for the money his co-defendants already paid, he will not have to pay anything, according to the release. Follow @eheisigWLJ