An East Haven paralegal has been sentenced to 33 months in federal prison for her role in a massive eastern Connecticut mortgage fraud led by Jose Guzman of Waterford.

Louise Lampo-Diglio, 43, was sentenced Tuesday in U.S. District Court. Her sentence, which includes two years of supervised release and an order that she and other defendants pay $6.3 million in restitution, was imposed by Senior Judge Alfred V. Covello.

Lampo-Diglio worked as a paralegal for New Haven attorney David Kinney, according to a summary of the case, and pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud. She prepared and submitted fraudulent paperwork used by sham homebuyers to hoodwink lenders into writing mortgages in New London County for people who never intended to occupy the properties.

Mortgage proceeds were split among the conspirators, according to prosecutors. For instance, Lampo-Diglio was involved in both a sale and refinance of a home at 5 Coit St. in New London, according to court records.

"Lampo-Diglio knew that the refinance proceeds were being used to pay off her co-conspirators, Jose Guzman and Stacey Petro," the case summary stated.

Petro was a Branford mortgage broker who owned a company called First Source.

The summary said Lampo-Diglio worked for various licensed attorneys from 2004 to 2007, sending false closing documents to lenders.

"As Lampo-Diglio knew, the buyers were straw purchasers who did not intend to make the properties their primary residences," the summary said.

In all, 16 people, including Kinney, Guzman and Petro, have pleaded guilty to charges in the mortgage fraud. Petro received a 41-month prison sentence, while Kinney and Guzman still await sentencing.

l.howard@theday.com