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Builder must pay $2 million to victims in mortgage scam

PITTSBURGH — A suburban Pittsburgh builder and real estate company president already sentenced to 30 months in prison for tax evasion must now repay victims more than $2 million in a home mortgage scam.

Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett has announced the court-ordered judgment against 57-year-old James Platts, of Bradford Woods.

A county judge who earlier issued an injunction shutting down Platts' Easy Realty Solutions entered the judgment, which will force Platts to repay his victims within 60 days.

Corbett said Platts and his companies collected nearly $2.3 million from consumers related to real estate sales while extending the victims $1.2 million in illegal mortgages.

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