The owner of a Connecticut media agency that falsely advertised mortgage modification services has been sentenced in New Haven.

Matthew Goldreich, of East Lyme, was sentenced to two years of probation, including three months of home confinement, for producing and disseminating false advertisements for mortgage modification services. He was also ordered to pay a $100,000 fine and $75,794 in restitution.

In March 2009, the U.S. Department of the Treasury created the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP), which consisted of a number of incentives to encourage struggling homeowners and financial institutions to modify existing loans on owner-occupied primary residences in order to help keep these properties out of foreclosure.

According to court documents and statements, between approximately May 2009 and February 2013, Goldreich produced advertisements for the National Mortgage Help Center LLC (NMHC) through his New London-based media agency, National Media Connection LLC. The advertisements falsely claimed that NMHC could help struggling homeowners obtain home mortgage loan modifications and many of them also used references to government stimulus programs and President Barack Obama’s image to falsely depict that the company was affiliated with the federal government.

NMHC did not provide mortgage modification services for any homeowners. Homeowners who called the toll-free telephone numbers advertised by NMHC were routed to National Media Connection’s clients. The clients, in turn, paid National Media Connection for these “leads.” Under the pretense of helping homeowners modify their mortgages, some National Media Connection clients charged the homeowners fees, providing no services in return.

As a result of the advertisements, several struggling homeowners across the United States were defrauded by clients of Goldreich’s media company, some of whom are in danger of losing their homes.

On August 13, 2015, Goldreich pleaded guilty to one count of false advertising.