Looks like the Artates’ self-described “seven years of torture” is finally at an end. On Jan. 10, U.S. District Court Judge Susan Oki Mollway sentenced Perry Artates and his wife Ronnette to 45 days and five months, respectively, in federal prison for carrying out what prosecutors described as a scam that left a family homeless. Here’s how Hawaii Reporter, which originally broke the story and reported on the sentencing today, described the 2007 crime:
“The case centered around a 2007 mortgage transaction, from which both Artateses benefitted. According to a 2012 federal indictment, Perry and Ronnette Artates approached Pedro Oliveros and his wife. The couple was facing foreclosure on their home in Makawao, Maui, and the Artateses offered to buy it. They promised to let the couple live in the home for six months while paying rent and then buy it back when their financial situation improved.
“The deal went through, the indictment said, but Perry Artates claimed in two legal documents he would be the owner and occupant of the home, which helped him get a loan for 100 percent of the transaction. This amounted to a false statement to a financial institution, the indictment says. Ronnette Artates collected a commission for the sale, federal records show.”
When the Oliveros family fell behind their rent, the Artates evicted them.
The big takeaway from the Hawaii Reporter story is how Perry Artates reacted to the verdict:
“When Perry Artates addressed the court he focused on the effect of the criminal case on his own life, saying he has been publicly humiliated by the family’s accusation against him, and it has led to the “loss of his dignity.” He said he was only trying to give the family a second chance, the case has been a “cancer” eating him up inside and has caused him “seven years of torture.” He said he forgave the family for what they did, maintained he never gained anything from them and said he’s keeping his head held high despite what he lost. He said he was sorry if he did anything wrong.”
You can read the whole Hawaii Reporter story here.
Comments
comments