Engelmann update II

Marc Engelmann's motion for a new trial, discussed here, was denied. Sentencing is scheduled for January 2012.

Mary Pat Harper sentenced

Mary Pat Harper, the real estate agent for Darryl Hanneken and Robert Herdrich, has been sentenced to two years in prison, $185,000 restitution, and three years of probation. Ms. Harper asked the judge to allow her to withdraw her guilty plea, which he declined to do. Even if the judge had allowed her to withdraw her guilty plea, I cannot see how it would have helped her much. In her written guilty plea, she admitted to all of the elements of the crime. She assisted Hanneken and Herdrich in a scheme to defraud lenders by fraudulently inflating the purchase price of investment properties, and then having the sellers of the properties kick back the extra money under the table to the Hanneken and Herdrich. This scheme involved approximately 40 properties in northwest Davenport, Iowa.

Marc Engelmann, the Davenport real estate attorney who was involved in nine of these transactions, and who was found guilty of nine counts of wire fraud, bank fraud, and conspiracy in September, is still awaiting sentencing. Strangely, even though he is a convicted felon as of September, he is still licensed to practice law in Illinois and Iowa.

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