STAFF REPORTS
BUFFALO — U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Wilfredo Sanio, 53, of Georgia, who was convicted of misprision of a felony, was sentenced to two years probation and ordered to pay restitution totaling $147,004 by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Marie P. Grisanti, who handled the case, stated that between May 2010 and May 2012, the defendant concealed the fraudulent activities of co-defendants Ann Nichols and Donnie Heilig. Heilig and Nichols, both of whom resided in the state of Oklahoma, utilized a business entity known as CED Computer Services (CED) fraudulently to obtain loans for clients in the form of equipment “leases.” Wilfredo Sanio operated a business in Georgia known as SCF Funding, which acted as a broker and brought clients to CED Computer Services.
Sanio knew that Heilig and Nichols falsely advised lease finance companies that CED was selling new equipment to clients and prepared fraudulent invoices for new equipment when, in fact, no equipment or inferior equipment was actually being provided. Upon receipt of the funding from the finance companies, defendant Nichols gave a commission to Heilig, herself, and Sanio, from the lease proceeds and sent the majority of the remaining proceeds to the client.
Ann Nichols and Donnie Heilig have been convicted of wire fraud. Helig was sentenced to eight months home confinement and Nichols is awaiting sentencing.
Today’s sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Adam S. Cohen.
