Petters scheme forger White sentenced to 5 years

A man who admitted forging 10,000 documents to further the $3.7 billion Ponzi scheme allegedly led by Minnesota businessman Tom Petters has been sentenced to five years in prison.

Robert White apologized to victims of the fraud when he appeared before U.S. District Judge Richard Kyle in St. Paul on Wednesday.

White told the court he and Petters lieutenant Deanna Coleman discussed going to the authorities together before the scheme collapsed in 2008. But he says Coleman went to the FBI without him, then put him off when he brought up the idea again.

Kyle says he took that into account. White potentially faced up to 20 years in prison. Kyle sentenced Coleman to one year and one day earlier this month.

Petters is appealing his conviction and 50-year sentence.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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