The first African-American city councilman in Uniontown was sentenced to three years of probation and ordered to pay nearly $700,000 in restitution for his conviction on one count of conspiracy to commit mortgage fraud.

U.S. District Judge Terrence F. McVerry could have sentenced Marlin Sprouts Jr., 53, to 24 months in prison, but he granted a motion by the prosecution asking for a reduction because of the man's assistance in the mortgage fraud investigation.

Judge McVerry acknowledged that Mr. Sprouts likely wouldn't have found himself facing federal charges were it not for his daughter.

Tiffany Lynn Sprouts was operating Sprouts Mortgage LLC when she went to her father and asked to use him as a straw purchaser to apply for bank loans. She and another man, Michael Pope, turned to five others, as well, prosecutors said. They used the good credit scores, as well as falsified documents, to obtain loans on a number of properties. In exchange, the straw purchasers would get a kickback.

Judge McVerry said that he believed that Mr. Sprouts was "manipulated" and that he got involved in the crime because he was attempting to repair his estranged relationship with his daughter.

Both Ms. Sprouts and Mr. Pope have also pleaded guilty in the case. Neither has been sentenced.