SANTA ANA — A Coto De Caza man who in YouTube videos promised to help homeowners save their homes from foreclosure was sentenced Friday to eight years in prison after bilking more than 500 people out of $2.2 million.

Kevin Frank Rasher, who earlier this year pleaded guilty to a dozen counts of mail fraud, was sentenced to 97 months behind bars and ordered to pay about $2.24 million in restitution for the money he stole in a loan modification scam.

But U.S. District Judge Josephine L. Staton cautioned those who lost their money and homes to the scam should not hold out hope of reimbursement.

“You should assume, unfortunately, that all your money was spent by Mr. Rasher,” Staton told a group of five victims who attended Friday’s hearing. “You should not expect, unfortunately, to receive back that which was stolen from you.”

Rasher, 46, from late 2011 through early 2016 targeted struggling homeowners by promising to help reduce their mortgage payments, he admitted as part of his plea deal. At times falsely claiming to be an attorney or an official with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Rasher convinced his victims to send their payments directly to him.

“In fact, he stole the money,” Staton said. “He put it in his own bank accounts and used it for his own purposes.”

Rasher’s estimated $20,000 in monthly expenses that were unwittingly bankrolled by his victims included rent for a home in Coto de Caza.

Among the ways Rasher reached out to his victims were video clips posted on YouTube

“If you’re in need of foreclosure proceedings to be stopped, payments to be more affordable and interest-rate reductions to be done, I’m your man,” he said in one of the clips.

During his sentencing hearing, Rasher apologized for his actions and asked his victims’ for forgiveness. He also asked the judge for leniency, noting his wife suffers from cancer and he has learned he has a brain tumor.

“I am fully remorseful to all who have had any pain or suffering from my actions,” Rasher said. “I established my business to help people and not hurt people.”

Most of the victims who spoke before the court doubted the sincerity of Rasher’s apology. As Rasher stared down at the table in front of him, his victims described, in often emotional terms, the pain of lost homes they had spent a lifetime saving for, and the financial devastation that will take them years to recover from.

Other victims said they initially believed Rasher to be a “beacon of hope” at a time when they were fighting the banks and mortgage companies to keep their homes, only to be betrayed.

While the federal case against Rasher has concluded, he still faces numerous criminal charges in state court. The Orange County District Attorney’s Office has charged him with 46 counts of grand theft, among other felonies, court records show.