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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- A state judge in Utah has ordered a West Jordan man to pay $2 million in punitive damages in a loan modification scam that allegedly targeted desperate homeowners.
Third District Court Judge Mark Kouris issued the findings Friday after a bench trial involving David Moffitt.
Moffitt failed to appear for the civil trial. Records indicate he has since filed for bankruptcy.
Salt Lake City attorney Danny Quintana filed the lawsuit on behalf of a couple who initially thought they were investing in real estate.
Ronald and Deanna Bray allege Moffitt then started a different scam from a call center in Lehi soliciting loan modifications from people about to lose their homes.
The punitive damages cannot be discharged by Moffitt's bankruptcy and $92,000 in actual damages.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
