Washington man gets prison term for Idaho scheme
A Washington man convicted of wire fraud in Idaho has been ordered to spend 37 months in prison and pay more than $366,000 in restitution to the victim of his scheme.
Samuel Thomas Geren Jones, 32, of Spokane, was convicted by a federal jury in July of 19 counts of wire fraud and one count of interstate transportation in aid of racketeering enterprises.
Federal prosecutors argued during the trial that Jones and co-defendant Travis Justin Sneed plotted to defraud a property owner in Coeur d’Alene. The owner signed a deal to develop the land into condominiums that involved her mortgaging the property, then sent about $600,000 to Jones and Sneed.
Prosecutors said the men spent the money and never developed the land.
Sneed will serve 63 months in prison.
