SAN FRANCISCO—A businessman who went on the lam after being
convicted in an elaborate multimillion-dollar condominium fraud
case in San Francisco was sentenced Tuesday to 20 years in
prison.  The sentencing of Jay Shah, according to district
attorney George Gascon, was one of the most severe punishments
in the history of his office's white-collar division.  "We are
sending a message that white-collar crime is a top priority for
this office and will be prosecuted aggressively," Gascon told
reporters.  Shah, 48, and four co-conspirators were convicted
last year for their brazen scheme, which took control of a
woman's three luxury condominiums in San Francisco's tony One
Rincon Hill high-rise.  Led by Shah, the conspirators used fake
identities and took out loans against the properties and
laundered the money through shell companies. The condos were
valued at $5.5 million.  "(They were) very sophisticated in what
they did," Gascon told reporters.  In September, a jury
convicted Shah, who was found guilty of 13 f