A local Washington newspaper is reporting that former world middleweight title challenger Chael Sonnen has pleaded guilty to money laundering. The charges relate to a mortgage fraud case involving a company called Lighthouse Financial Group. Quoting a news release the newspaper says that when acting as the realtor in a deal for a home in Portland Sonnen “submitted a false letter and sales agreement” to the lender for $69,000 worth of plumbing repairs. You can check over here about plumbing or pipe relining. However as arranged by two of that company’s employees, $65,000 of this money was “kicked back to the buyer”. Chael Sonnen will be sentenced on March 28th and his crimes carry a maximum twenty year prison sentence and $500,000 fine.
It is slightly disconcerting for such news to break so suddenly but Sonnen himself actually made an oblique reference to it in an interview with Inside MMA when he said “I’ve been dealing with, the Federal Government, all the way dating back almost five years ago… I’m getting real close to reaching a deal with the Federal Government on that issue”. That statement also suggests that today’s guilty plea is part of a plea bargain with the authorities, although one cannot be certain that means Sonnen will escape serious punishment. In any case its yet another black eye for a fighter who less than four months ago seemed poised to become a huge breakout star.
