Defendant says he was victim of fraud ringleader

"He obviously wasn't my friend," Montecastro said. "He betrayed my trust. He betrayed my family's trust."

Montecastro displayed email messages from a couple of victims who indicated they believed it was Duncan who stole from them and that Montecastro was trying to get their money back.

The prosecution painted a very different picture: that Montecastro was Duncan's lieutenant in executing the scam and that Pedrino was the scheme's top recruiter, persuading fellow nurses, members of her church and friends in the local Filipino community to invest.

"Helen and Hendrix were partners in crime," Hightower said. "I'm asking you to hold them responsible for what they have done."

As a result of their actions, Hightower said, people such as Beverly Lau lost $825,000 after being persuaded to take equity out of her home, cash out retirement accounts and charge credit cards to the max, and Christine Hynum lost nearly $345,000 after being convinced of the wisdom of refinancing two homes.

Of the latter, Hightower said, "They took this poor woman for everything she was worth."

As for Duncan, he was hardly a "good guy," Hightower said. But she said his testimony against Montecastro and Pedrino corroborates that of other victims and he had nothing to gain given the low standing snitches have in prison.

"He had no reason to lie," she said. "He's going to spend 19 years, 8 months in state prison, watching his back every step of the way."


