Appalled judge slams former Calgary mortgage broker as a 'remorseless liar'

A former Calgary mortgage broker who defrauded millions from his unsuspecting clients was sentenced to 4½ years in prison on Thursday (February 22), matching the high end of the sentence requested by the Crown prosecutor.

Brandon Antonini, who was found guilty of 23 counts of theft and fraud after a trial in Calgary last year, was described by a provincial court judged as a “remorseless liar” and “totally unbelievable”. 10 counts of theft were officially stayed at the sentencing in Calgary late last week.

The convictions involved five investors who were misled into shelling out, and subsequently losing, $2.4 million in a bridge financing scheme for mortgages that didn’t actually exist.

Judge Gordon Wong said the bogus scheme put together by Antonini was significant, planned, and deliberate.

“There was no indication of motive other than greed,” Wong said, as quoted by CBC News.

Wong, adding that the case did not have any mitigating factors, explained that Antonini committed the frauds over a six-month period in 2012, as well as abused his position of trust with his mortgage brokerage clients and shown no remorse.

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Prior to last week’s conviction, Antonini and disbarred Calgary lawyer Floyd Campbell were charged in June 2015 for their participation in a scheme in which they asked investors to provide bridge financing for homeowners who had no idea their properties were being used in the scam.

Campbell, who was subsequently disbarred by the Law Society of Alberta and is currently serving a 2-year probation, pleaded guilty to one count of theft involving $225,000. Campbell admitted he misappropriated $3.5 million from his clients.

Antonini, who was a licensed mortgage broker at the time of the offences, insisted that he was not aware that the deals were bogus. The former broker said that false documents presented to potential private lenders were prepared by Campbell.