Faith-based mortgage assistance scam gets Detroit man 30 years in prison

Anthony Carta of Detroit was accused of taking hundreds of thousands of dollars from more than 100 victims who believed he was going to help them with mortgage loans through his business Oakland County business Freedom By Faith Ministries.

DETROIT, MI -- A 53-year-old man convicted last month of running a mortgage assistance scam was sentenced Thursday to 30 to 99 years in prison, according to the state attorney general's office.

Anthony Carta of Detroit was accused of taking hundreds of thousands of dollars from more than 100 victims who believed he was going to help them with mortgage loans through his the Southfield entity Freedom By Faith Ministries.

"Carta instead pocketed the money and did nothing to assist the victims with their mortgages," the attorney general's office alleged.

He pleaded guilty March 9 to conducting a criminal enterprise and false pretenses Oakland County Circuit Court.

Carta was ordered to pay $400,000 in restitution to the victims. Freedom By Faith Ministries was ordered to pay $674,001 in restitution.

"Anthony Carta scammed his friends and neighbors out of hundreds of thousands of dollars under the guise of faith," said Attorney General Bill Schuette in a statement. "While we can never undo the damage done to these victims, we have secured them justice and can make sure they're never victimized by Anthony Carta again."

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.