Mark Strodtman, 52, of Windsor, was found guilty Wednesday afternoon in District Court in Greeley of felony racketeering, theft and forgery after a 12-day jury trial.
Strodtman, indicted in March by a grand jury, fled the country to escape prosecution. He was arrested in Mexico in late September.
Earlier this decade, Strodtman built homes in Greeley. He steered his customers, mostly Spanish speaking, to Charles Brandt and Jessica Feliciano of J.C. Distinguished Finance LLC to obtain mortgages based on fabricated applications.
Strodtman collected his money but stuck customers with mortgages they couldn’t afford. Appraisals were so inflated, the buyers were unable to sell the properties to avoid foreclosure, prosecutors said.
Nelson Feliciano and Flora Carmona, indicted by the grand jury along with Strodtman, testified for the prosecution.
Strodtman’s sentencing is set for 1:30 p.m. Jan. 5. He faces up to 48 years in prison for a pattern of racketeering, up to 24 years for each of 11 counts of theft, and up to six years for each of 11 counts of forgery.
The Weld County district attorney’s investigation began with a tip from a local real estate agent in 2007 and lasted about a year. It was the first case tried in Weld County under the Colorado Organized Crime Control Act.
Electa Draper: 303-954-1276 or edraper@denverpost.com
