Decatur Man Convicted Of Fraud Commits Suicide

DECATUR, IL- A Decatur real estate broker who was just convicted of fraud has committed suicide.

Last week a federal jury convicted Terry Hart, 58, of nine counts of fraud for a real estate flipping scheme. The Macon County Coroner says Hart was found dead Thursday at a home on Silas Street in Decatur.

The coroner pronounced Hart dead just before 1 p.m. from an apparent self inflicted gun shot wound to the head.

Hart and two other people defrauded Staley Credit Union and various real estate buyers between 2002 and 2005. The two other defendants in the case, Diane Shelton and Mark Brown, both pleaded guilty to the charges in 2009. They are scheduled to be sentenced in November.