DETROIT — Victims of a financial scam are making emotional pleas for a long prison sentence for a southeastern Michigan investment manager.
Eighty-one-year-old Carmen Cassar (KA'-sar) says she's a devout Catholic but still can't forgive John Bravata. Another investor, Patricia Philliben, told a judge Monday that she lost more than $600,000.
The government says Bravata's real estate scheme cost investors more than $40 million.
The Brighton man's crimes each carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. But prosecutors are recommending that he serve some sentences one at a time, which could put him away for life.
The government says Bravata's real estate scheme was "complex ... and devastating" for investors. Some have told prosecutors that they can't pay the mortgage and have lost their life savings.