A former Spokane, Washington, Realtor who claimed she was just following widely accepted practices in the real estate industry has been sentenced to serve two-and-a-half years in federal prison and pay $264,406.00 in restitution for her role in a $1.4 million mortgage fraud scheme. Sixty-three-old Sally Gibson was originally convicted in August 2004 of conspiracy and 11 counts of wire fraud associated with a home-selling scheme carried out by Century Mortgage and its two co-owners, Dale "Sage" Gibbons and Ronald Burger.

From The Spokesman-Review:

Dozens of home buyers lost an estimated $1.4 million in the fraud scheme that lasted from 1997 through 2000 in the Spokane area. Interested buyers were promised $100 if Century Mortgage couldn't find and qualify them for a home purchase.

The scheme involved falsely appraising homes and selling them for far more than their actual value ' defrauding mortgage lenders and leaving purchasers facing balloon payments, high interest rates, foreclosure and even bankruptcy.

After her conviction, Gibson was hired to work for more than a year as a "marketing representative" for the Spokane Better Business Bureau. Jan Quintrall, the organization's executive director, confirmed she knew about Gibson's conviction but believed it would be overturned.

The BBB's board of directors ordered Gibson terminated last September after a published report detailed her involvement in the mortgage fraud conspiracy.