INDEPENDENT NEWSMEDIA
More than $3.6 million has been returned to the victims of a commercial loan fraud perpetrated by a Phoenix man who was sentenced in 2013 to 30 months in prison and ordered to pay restitution, federal officials announced last week.
Joseph Nicholas Gagliano was convicted more than a decade ago on one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Arizona district.
“Gagliano obtained Small Business Administration-backed loans and loan modifications by providing false information on the loan documents about his identity, assets and liabilities,” the release stated and added that he defaulted on the loans, “resulting in substantial losses to the lenders and the SBA.”
The case against Gagliano was based on an investigation by the SBA-OIG and FBI.
Between June 2006 and July 2010, Gagliano sought an SBA loan for a car wash in Chandler and mortgage loans for residential real estate in Scottsdale and Phoenix, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office following Gagliano’s sentencing in October 2013.
He submitted loan applications “that falsely misrepresented that his father, who has the same name, was the actual borrower, and also made misrepresentations concerning his income, assets, liabilities and intent to occupy the residential properties as a primary residence,” the release stated.
Gagliano also forged signatures, altered bank statements and submitted bogus lease agreements. The scheme to defraud resulted in nearly $3 million in losses to the Small Business Administration, Wells Fargo Bank and JP Morgan Chase, federal authorities said.
After identifying Gagliano’s commercial dealings and assets, the U.S. Attorney’s Office pursued enforcement using its statutory judgment collection tools, according to last week’s release.
“Due to those efforts, Gagliano agreed to a payment agreement and the office collected Gagliano’s restitution obligation in full. As a result, Gagliano’s crime victims, including the taxpayer supported SBA, have received full compensation for the harm caused by Gagliano’s scheme,” the release stated.