PHILADELPHIA—The former chief executive officer of a central Pennsylvania financing company has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison in a $53 million loan fraud scheme that precipitated the sale of the company and hundreds of layoffs.

The Philadelphia Inquirer ( http://bit.ly/P92dTK) says 46-year-old Joseph Braas of Lititz was sentenced Tuesday in federal court on conspiracy and mail fraud counts.

He and seven others were indicted in November 2010 in the scheme that toppled Equipment Finance Inc. of Lititz and its parent companies.

Defense attorney Cory Miller said Braas started out trying to help and things got out of control.

But Assistant U.S. Attorney Judy Smith called the case "narcissism run amok." And U.S. District Court Judge Paul Diamond said he believed Braas was only sorry he was caught.

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Information from: The Philadelphia Inquirer, http://www.philly.com