Florida man gets 8½ years for using federal pandemic relief funds to buy lavish 12-acre estate and a fleet of luxury cars

MW ^ | 1/13/2023 | Marketwatch

[mikelets456]

He’s going from one big house to another.

A failed lawyer and movie executive from Florida has been sentenced to 8½ years in prison for stealing $7.2 million in COVID-19 relief funds, which he used to buy luxury cars and a 12,500-square-foot mansion on a 12-acre estate.

Don Cisternino, 47, of Chuluota, Fla., pleaded guilty in September in federal court in Orlando to wire-fraud and identity-theft charges for the scam in which he submitted applications for pandemic aid programs. Cisternino claimed he had a film and theater production and marketing business that had 441 employees, when in reality it had none.

Using stolen Social Security numbers, prosecutors say Cisternino made phony claims that his company, MagnifiCo Inc., had a monthly payroll of over $2.8 million. The U.S. government approved him in 2020 for an emergency loan of $7.2 million, prosecutors said.

Cisternino then used the pandemic aid to purchase the $3.5 million home. He lived in the seven-bedroom mansion, complete with a full movie theater, five-stable horse barn, tennis court, swimming pool and an English-style pub, with his girlfriend.

[xp38]

He could start his own BLM chapter!

[V_TWIN]

Sounds like he was auditioning a spot in the biden crime cartel to me.

[rktman]

Hmmmmm! I suppose CONvid-19 theft by, say, the chicongo teachers unions is all okee dokee though?

[V_TWIN]

He’s not “color coded” if you know what I mean 😏

[xp38]

He can identify as B. Been done before :)

[Billthedrill]

What does he think he is, a politician?

[V_TWIN]

“Using stolen Social Security numbers....”

I’m a dumbass and even I know better than that.

If for no other reason he needs prison just for being world class stupid.

[rlmorel]

Dang! They finally nailed Tom Brady!

[Robert DeLong]

Don Victor Cisternino, 45, of Bradenton, Florida, and his partner, Lori Quasky, 47. Cisternino was indicted by the federal government for fraudulently using $7.2million he received in PPP loans to buy luxury items like a mansion and cars A Florida man fraudulently took $7.2million in PPP loans by falsely claiming he employed 441 people, three of whom had been dead, and used it to buy a $3.5million seven-bedroom mansion and luxury cars including a Maserati, a Mercedes-Benz, and a Lincoln Navigator, the federal government alleges.

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[deport]

[TexasFreeper2009]

that’s a hell of a home for only 3 million!

[silent majority rising]

I was laughing too. He followed the advice “if you are going to steal, steal bigly”..

[TexasFreeper2009]

he will probably be out in 8 months and most likely has a million stashed somewhere.

[Zuriel]

The backstops on that tennis court wouldn’t stop 90% of the balls I manage to hit.

[Organic Panic]

And my business got squat after they shut down the state all for people like this to get “loans.” Major law firms made tens of millions with these “loans” when they didn’t even shut down. This guy’s only sin was not kicking up the 10%

[Dr. Franklin]

A failed lawyer and movie executive from Florida has been sentenced to 8½ years in prison for stealing $7.2 million in COVID-19 relief funds, which he used to buy luxury cars and a 12,500-square-foot mansion on a 12-acre estate.

Compared to the Biden Crime family, this guy is a rank amateur.

[Blennos]

he will probably be out in 8 months...

Maybe not in this case. He was sentenced in federal court.

[freefdny]

Is that picture his house or the federal prison where he will serve his time?

[TalBlack]

So…ah…does he get to keep the home?