4/8/12 Ashburn man pleads guilty to fraud scheme | LoudounTimes.com 1/2 www.loudoun times.com/index .php/news/article/ash burn_man_plead s_guilty_to_fraud_ scheme123/ Mobile Website | Login | Register Staff Directory | Advertise | Subscribe | About Us Advanced Search SEARCH 1 1 Wednesday, Apr. 4, 2012 by Laura Peters | 1 comments | Email this story Brett A. Amendola, 37, of Ashburn plead guilty April 4 for defrauding more than $3.8 million from investors through a Ponzi scheme involving his purported purchase of a golf course in Loudoun County. The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office partnered with the FBI in the investigation of an Ashburn man’s defrauding scheme. Amend ola, who was prosecu te d by Assis tant U.S. Attorney Jame s P. Gillis, plead guilt y to wire fraud and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison during his sentencing June 29. According to authorities, Amendola persuaded various investors to provide him with short- term funding that would be held in escrow to fulfill a requirement by his lender to purchase the Beacon Hill Golf Course outside of Leesburg. According to documents, Amendola promised that the money would be returned to the investors with interest within days. Amendola diverted the investors’ money to his own use which included funding his and family members’ trading accounts, making payments to investors in this and other schemes and paying for personal expenses, a release said. Amendola also posed as the attorney representing the escrow account over the phone and in email messages, the rele ase s aid. Thi s l ead investigator s to believe that the fu nds would be wired t o finan cial accounts controlled b y the escrow attorne y, wh ich i n turn was Amend ola. The case was investigate d by the FBI’s Wash ington Field Office a nd Loud oun Count y Sheriff ’s Office. Comments Wed, Apr 04 at 02:22 PM by Crooks Are Stupid | Report this comment If you are going to swindle $3.8/million from people, wouldn’t the best idea to evade jail time is to book a flight to a non-extradition country before those folks start asking, “Where’s my Money/Investment”? You might also want to renounce your US Citizenship, get a new identity, and then hide your money in a Swiss bank account. Comments express only the views of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of this website or any associated person or entity. Any user who believes a message is objectionable can contact us at [email protected]. Post a comment Anyone can post a comment. Registration is not required. By submitting a comment, you agree to our Terms of Service. Stay Connected Follow Us on Twitter News | Sports Like Us on Facebook News & Sports Subscribe via RSS News | Sports Most Popular in News Tuesday, Apr. 3 | 4789 views Board of Supervisors approve FY 2013 budget, lower property tax rate Friday, Apr. 6 | 4722 views Childhood memories torn down Monday, Apr. 2 | 3808 views Teachers urge governor to veto VRS overhaul Monday, Apr. 2 | 3741 views Local realtors say Metrorail will boost hou sing market Wednesday, Apr. 4 | 3200 views Ashburn man pleads guilty to fraud scheme News Opinions Sports Entertainment Blogs Video Classifieds Advertise Ashburn man pleads guilty to fraud scheme VA Real Estate Attorney Experienced Real Estate Attorney 703.225.3440 www.keithleylaw.com