Federal court sentences Crish to 34 months

TOLEDO - A former title company owner was sentenced to nearly three years in prison Monday to be served simultaneously to the five years she received in Allen County.

Tina Crish, 44, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Toledo to 34 months prison on bank fraud and conspiracy. She also was ordered to pay $29,000 in restitution to First National Bank of Pandora and serve three years probation.

Crish was sentenced earlier this year on state charges for stealing $761,714 from Security Title Guarantee Corp of Baltimore. Crish operated 3-T Title Company in Lima, handling mortgage closings and writing title insurance.

Once Security Title became aware of her scam, the company shut her down, which stopped the cash flow she was using to inflate bank accounts and cover the money she stole. She used the money for things such as plastic surgery, jewelry and a motorcycle. She also said she had a drug addiction.

Security Title is suing Crish to try to recover the money, although a prosecutor said getting back that much is unlikely.

Read more about this story in Tuesday's The Lima News.