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Woman With Autistic Son Asks Home Detention In Mortgage Fraud Case

Monday, November 02, 2009

A Franklin County woman who pleaded guilty to mortgage fraud is asking home detention because she has a child with autism.

Chattanooga Federal Judge Sandy Mattice said he would consider some home detention for Carrie Snow, but said she will have to do some significant prison time as well.

The judge delayed the sentencing for several weeks to give attorney Bill Killian time to come up with reports from experts on the condition of Ms. Snow's child and how being away from her for an extended time would affect the child.

The sentencing range for Ms. Snow is 33-41 months.

Prosecutor Gary Humble is opposing the home detention request, saying Ms. Snow was part of a conspiracy involved in 61 fraudulent loans. He said she took part in 32 of those.

He said the loss involved with over $1 million. He said a number of people lost their homes to foreclosure and he said it brought a slump to the Franklin County economy.

He said Ms. Snow was defrauding her employer and that she was involved in getting kickbacks from lenders.

The grandmother of the autistic child stood up during the hearing and told the judge she is 70 years old and the care of the child would fall to her.

She said autism "will absolutely wreck the lives of everyone it touches."



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