Ex-millionaire who had ties to corrupt politicians gets 5-plus years in prison for real estate fraud
Prosecutors said Matthews, of
Matthews made attractive but false assertions that celebrities and politicians — including former Presidents
During Monday's court hearing, Matthews apologized to those he defrauded and admitted he used investors' money to maintain his wealthy lifestyle, Hearst Connecticut Media reported.
According to court documents, Matthews went broke after having overseen multimillion-dollar real estate projects, largely because of the 2008 real estate market crash. He had a 12,000-square-foot (1,115-square-meter) mansion in
Matthews pleaded guilty in 2019 to conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud, making illegal monetary transactions and tax evasion. Three co-defendants in the case, including his ex-wife and brother, also have pleaded guilty and await sentencing.
Prosecutors said the fraud also involved properties in
Law enforcement officials previously showed interest in
In a 2004 criminal case, a defendant who pleaded guilty said he was the front man for Matthews when Matthews bought a
In the early 1990s, authorities questioned Matthews about a
In 2000, Matthews and an antiques dealer obtained an original copy of the Bill of Rights that was stolen from
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