Former Jacksonville deputy guilty in lending fraud case

A former Jacksonville sheriff's deputy and another Jacksonville man were found guilty by a federal jury of defrauding lenders during home purchases, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

Timothy Lee Miller, 36, a deputy when he was indicted in October 2009, was later terminated from the Sheriff's Office.

Miller and co-defendant Christopher J. Reid, 39, were convicted of conspiring to commit mail and wire fraud, five counts of mail fraud and four counts of wire fraud. They face up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count of fraud.

The pair joined others in telling lenders they would install pools or do improvements at homes being purchased, but they didn't build the pools or do any substantial home improvements, prosecutors said. Instead, the money from lenders was kicked back to Miller, Reid and others.

David Bauerlein/The Times-Union