Bond Drastically Lowered For Accused Conman

A judge lowered the bond so much for an Orange County man accused of mortgage fraud, he could soon get out of jail. Eyewitness News has been in court with John Pavao before, when investigators tried to prove he worked with his wife and daughter to steal millions from mortgages.

The other family members may now also be trying to get out of jail. Pavao's daughter, Shastine, is coming back to court in two days to ask for a similar break on her bond. That has prosecutors scrambling and victims furious.

The days of posing with a Rolls Royce might be over for accused con-man John Pavao, but he could get his freedom back before trial.

People who lost their homes to Pavao, like Larry and Maude Robinson, can't believe it.

"Our 15-year-old daughter, 13-year-old son, and the dog and us sleep on the floor. It doesn't make sense. They completely ruined us, absolutely completely ruined us," Larry Robinson told Eyewitness News.

Pavao, along with his wife, Debra, and daughter, Shastine, are all accused of tricking as many as 50 people out of their homes, offering loans, but then taking their properties.

Shortly after their arrest in December, Judge Bob LeBlanc set bail at more than $1 million.

"Based on the evidence presented here today, it appears the three of them made their living scamming people," the judge said at the time.

But based on those comments, defense attorneys got LeBlanc removed and a new judge dropped John Pavao's bond all the way down to $21,000. Now the lawyer for Pavao's daughter Shastine wants a similar ruling.

"Do you have any concern at all that your client could be a flight risk?" WFTV reporter Eric Rasmussen asked.

"No, no, I have her passport. I already told the court we'd surrender it. She's not a flight risk at all. She's a 22-year-old girl with no prior record. Where's she going?" defense attorney Mark Fromang said.

John Pavao posted his bond, but he's not home free. He was still in jail Monday afternoon; law enforcement out of Massachusetts has a warrant for him on a separate larceny charge.