MIAMI (AP) _ A Florida man has been sentenced to four years in prison for his role in a mortgage fraud scheme used to purchase houses for use as indoor marijuana growing operations.
A federal judge on Tuesday imposed the sentence on 41-year-old Roberto Caro of Miami for money laundering and marijuana distribution conspiracy convictions.
Part of the sentence was also for jumping bail in January 2011, until Caro was captured in October of that year.
Four others involved in the scheme have also been sent to prison.
Prosecutors say the group submitted false loan applications to various lenders so they could buy numerous houses in St. Lucie, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties.
Most of those homes were turned into marijuana grow houses.
