FBI Nabs Anastasi: Convicted Felon Who Gave Money to George "The Laundryman" Nakano
Angel of Mercy
right next to him. And hopefully George Nakano will join them soon as
well, although we think he may be on the verge of taking "the
honorable way out" before his CIA handlers pull his plug....
Today is Friday, July 13, 2001
Local News
Anastasi signs deal to plead guilty
By Matt Krasnowski
COPLEY NEWS SERVICE
The president of Redondo Beach-based Anastasi Realtors Inc. agreed
Thursday to plead guilty to charges stemming from a lengthy FBI probe
into South Bay real estate fraud.
Lloyd R. Anastasi, 61, of Manhattan Beach signed a deal with
prosecutors in which he agreed to plead guilty to four loan fraud
counts in connection with a string of Redondo Beach real estate sales
in the 1990s.
Anastasi could face from eight to 14 months behind bars, according to
the plea agreement.
Cheryl Munder, 45, an escrow officer from Manhattan Beach, and the
company, Anastasi Realtors, were also indicted in that case, which was
filed in October.
Anastasi's lawyer Mark Heaney said he anticipated a plea agreement
would be reached between prosecutors and the real estate company, but
one has not been finalized yet.
Heaney said he had no comment about Anastasi's agreement.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Pamela Johnston said that there are no plea
agreements filed with the other defendants and she could not comment
further about those cases.
She did say the decade-old FBI probe into South Bay real estate
practices is drawing to a close.
“We're pleased to be bringing to a completion this long
investigation,” Johnston said.
If no deals are struck, the cases could go to trial next week.
Since 1996, prosecutors have been filing cases against people involved
in the real estate probe. But since the Anastasi indictment, no new
charges have been filed.
No hearing date has been set for Anastasi's change of plea.
The four counts against Anastasi center around two 1990 real estate
purchases and one in 1994. The properties were advertised as being for
sale with “no money down.” Buyers purchased Anastasi
Construction Co. properties but lenders were given allegedly phony
figures for the buyers' assets and liabilities. The banks also were
told that the buyers were providing the down payments when it usually
was Anastasi loaning the money to them, court papers state. In some
cases, the sales prices were allegedly inflated to cover closing
costs.
The charges raised in the Anastasi case mirrored allegations against
several other players in the South Bay real estate industry in the
last four years.
Some key defendants charged in the investigations pleaded guilty in
1998 but still have not been sentenced. This includes former RE/MAX
Beach Cities owner Robert K. Todd, broker W. Darrow Fiedler and former
Citibank account executive Jodi Voy Pillsbury.
A judge still hasn't set a sentencing date for Voy Pillsbury. The
sentencing hearings for Todd and Fiedler are expected to follow her
hearing.
Publish Date:Friday July 13
© Copyright 2001 The Copley Press Inc.