In a 2009 news report, a Pocopson Township woman attributed her success in starting a real estate company in 2006 to her ability to rebound from a bad divorce and identify theft.
By 2011, the Philadelphia Inquirer listed her company, EXIT Realty “Tri-State Group,” as one of the top 20 small companies as ranked by employees.
On Monday, federal authorities unsealed an indictment against Marie Mikesche Bontigao, 43, of West Chester, charging her with wire and mail fraud in a scheme that bilked investors of more than $2 million, U.S. Attorney Zane David Memeger said in a press release.
Bontigao, who could not be reached for comment, was a licensed real estate broker who operated a franchise location of EXIT Realty in Philadelphia, New Jersey and Delaware and was the founder of the EXIT Realty “Tri-State Group: and “Tri-State Investment Holdings, Inc.,” the release said.
According to the indictment, between 2007 and 2013, Bontigao solicited individuals to invest in her real estate projects, fueling a Ponzi scheme. Instead of investing the lenders’ money in real estate projects, she used the funds to operate her business and to pay personal expenses, the indictment said.
In a 2009 Philadelphia Business Journal article, Bontigao said she had $28.35 to rebuild her life after divorce and identity theft left her facing foreclosure. She said she swallowed her pride, borrowing money to attend real-estate school.
“I am a survivor, been there, done that,” the article quoted her as saying. “It made me stronger and gave me an understanding of what people go through. We all have different things to share, you either take it as a victim, or you take it as a survivor.”
If convicted, Bontigao faces a maximum possible sentence of 80 years in prison, a three-year period of supervised release, and a $1 million fine, the release said.
(No Ratings Yet)
Loading...
Comments