South Boston mortgage broker gets month in jail for role in mortgage fraud case

Brian Arrington, 39, pleaded guilty this week to 37 larceny and fraud charges for his role in a scheme to profit off "distressed" properties in the Boston area, the state Attorney General's office reports.

Suffolk Superior Court Judge Mitchell Kaplan sentenced Arrington to a year in a county jail, but cut the sentence to a month if Arrington stays out of trouble for the next three years. He also has to pay victims $100,000 in compensation.

According to the AG's office, Arrington submitted fraudulent mortgage applications to lenders for Boston Equity Investments, which brokered deals between mostly out-of-state buyers and owners of buildings in the Boston area. The bulk of the scheme's money came by charging buyers more than the sellers would get and keeping the difference. Five other people were indicted; three have also pled guilty, two await trial.