A federal judge in New Jersey sentenced Chaim “Eli” Puretz to 24 months in prison for his role in a multi-million mortgage fraud scheme.

U.S. District Court Judge Robert Kirsch cited that Puretz should be “treated very differently from his co-conspirator father,” and called the younger Puretz a “novice swimming in a shark’s pool.”

The judge also considered what Puretz’s attorney described as a childhood marked by neglect and abuse, and that he struggled with many unaddressed mental health issues.