A man who pleaded guilty of scamming seniors on the city's South and West sides in a reverse mortgage scheme was sentenced Thursday. Mark Diamond was sentenced to 205 months—or 17 years and one month—in prison.

A Chicago contractor accused of scamming elderly homeowners out of millions of dollars was sentenced to 205 months in prison Thursday. Mark Diamond pleaded guilty in May to a federal charge of wire fraud affecting a financial institution.

Diamond was sentenced to 205 months—or 17 years and one month—in prison. He was also ordered to pay $2.7 million in restitution.

David Herron's home in North Lawndale has been in his family for more than six decades. Among other repairs, it needs a new roof and a new heating system.

Chicago businessman Mark Diamond victimized elderly, vulnerable homeowners in a years-long scheme with unfulfilled promises to fund repairs.

"Diamond and the co-schemers targeted elderly victims in the Chicago area based on the amount of equity in their homes and their relative lack of financial sophistication," according to the United Sta