Convict is facing 4 ½ years in prison for nearly two dozen counts of fraud and theft
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An Alberta ex-mortgage broker convicted of 23 counts of fraud and theft got his appeal dismissed by the province’s Court of Appeal late last week.
In late February last year, Brandon Antonini was sentenced to four and a half years in prison over a bogus bridge financing scheme that bilked $2.4 million from five investors. The fraudulent operation was conducted over a six-month period in 2012.
During the 2018 trial, the provincial court judged described the fraudster as a “remorseless liar” and “totally unbelievable,” having engaged in a significant, planned, and deliberate scheme to abuse a position of trust with clients.
“There was no indication of motive other than greed,” Judge Gordon Wong said at the time, as quoted by CBC News.
Antonini’s appeal was grounded on faulty examination of evidence by the judge, errors in understanding business practices/industry standards, and errors in application of the law by delivering an “unreasonable” verdict.
The appeal was junked for lack of merit on all grounds, three Court of Appeal justices unanimously decided.
