Utah man gets 7-year prison sentence for telemarketing scam

Utah man gets 7-year prison sentence for telemarketing scam

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Authorities say a Salt Lake City man has been sentenced to seven years in prison for a telemarketing scam.

The Deseret News reported Tuesday that a federal judge also ordered 43-year-old Chad Gettel to pay more than $558,000 restitution.

Gettel’s sentence will run concurrent with a seven-year term he started serving last fall for a home loan modification scam.

That scheme involved more than 10,000 victims nationwide who had more than $33 million in losses.

Prosecutors say Gettel started the payment processing scam while being prosecuted for mortgage fraud.

He and four associates were accused of operating a payment processing scheme for proceeds received by telemarketing call centers and other activities associated with fraudulent telemarketing programs.

Prosecutors say losses to telemarketing victims and banks exceeded $9 million.