Brothers plead guilty to mortgage fraud
Court Alerts
[##_1L|1054133133.jpg|width="120" height="88" alt=""|_##]Two brothers whose convictions for running a mortgage scheme in suburban Rochester were recently overturned pleaded guilty Wednesday to mortgage fraud to avoid a new trial. Robert Amico, 45, and his 36-year-old brother, Richard Amico, were convicted in 2003 of defrauding mortgage lenders out of $58.5 million for homes built in Monroe, Ontario and Wayne counties from 1994 to 2000. Prosecutors called it the largest case of mortgage fraud ever prosecuted in western New York.
A federal appeals court in May overturned the Amicos' convictions, ruling that the judge who presided over their trial should have recused himself when a prosecution witness claimed he had once helped the judge fraudulently obtain a mortgage.
In exchange for their guilty pleas, the Amicos will avoid a new trial and receive lighter sentences than the ones they received after they were convicted.
Robert Amico, who originally was ordered to prison for 17 1/2 years, will be sentenced to at least 10 years under the plea agreement. He has served more than four years already.
Richard Amico, who received an original prison term of nine years, will get a maximum of five years. He has already served more than three years.
The brothers will receive credit for the time they've already served and remain free until they are sentenced in January.
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Is Now the Time to Really Call a Special Education Lawyer?
IDEA, FAPE, CHILD FIND and IEPs: The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) guarantees all children with disabilities to a free appropriate public education (FAPE). FAPE starts with a school’s responsibility to identify that a child has a disability (Child Find) and create an Individualized Education Program (IEP) to suit the needs of the child.
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Parents need to be persistent, dedicated and above all else aware of the many services and accommodations that their child is entitled to under the law. As early as this point within your child’s special education, many parents will often find themselves in the situation asking, “is now the time to really call a special education lawyer?” Here are a few things to consider when asking yourself that question.