BENTON, Ill. – Former Williamson County State’s Attorney Brandon Zanotti has been sentenced to two years of probation, a $5,000 fine, and 20 hours of community service for his role in a scheme to sell seven commercial rental properties through the falsification of loan and other bank documents.
The suspension of Zanotti’s law license is currently pending before the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission. In March, Zanotti pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Benton to one felony count of aiding and abetting the making of a false bank entry.
According to court documents, on April 6, 2022, Zanotti met with a bank president and the buyer, where they agreed to fraudulently make it appear as if the loan for purchasing the properties in Williamson and Franklin counties was actually a refinancing. Documents were backdated to show a purchase price of $545,152 on February 1, 2022, falsely indicating that the buyers brought 20% in cash, when in fact the real sales price was $436,122 with no cash involved.
The bank’s loan committee approved the false information, approving a refinancing of 80% of the loan. Zanotti resigned as State’s Attorney later that year following the incident.
Investigating agencies included the FBI Springfield Office and the Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of Inspector General. The prosecution was handled by Special Attorney Hal Goldsmith from the Eastern District of Missouri, with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Illinois recused from the case.
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Key Facts
- State: Missouri
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes|Public Corruption
- Source: Official Source ↗
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