An Easton man who exploited first-time home buyers or people with poor credit in a real estate rent-to-own scam has been sentenced to jail.

Joshua Leventhal was sentenced Tuesday in Fall River Superior Court to two years behind bars, with 10 months to serve and the remainder suspended for 10 years of probation. He was also ordered to pay $112,000 in restitution

The 44-year-old Leventhal pleaded guilty to four counts of larceny of more than $250.

Leventhal had described his program as a way for first-time home buyers or people with poor credit to rent a property, with the goal of ultimately buying that property.

The investigation revealed none of Leventhal's customers ever purchased property under his program and he kept the money for his own use.

More From WBSM-AM/AM 1420