Bishop Sigillito

Martin Sigillito, Convicted Ponzi Schemer, Will Be Sentenced Today through Friday

By Nicholas Phillips Wed., Oct. 3 2012 at 6:52 AM
Categories: Bishop Sigillito, Crime
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Federal judge Linda Reade has set aside three whole days -- today, Thursday and Friday -- for the sentencing of Martin Sigillito, a Clayton lawyer and American-Anglican bishop convicted by a jury last April for masterminding a $52 million fraud that fleeced the wealthy and working class alike.

It was the biggest Ponzi scheme in St. Louis history, the feds have said.

A three-day sentencing is "rare," said one former assistant U.S. attorney who declined to be named, adding that it "may reflect significant disagreement over the loss amount."

What's more, a little birdie told Daily RFT yesterday that federal prosecutors are going to ask for a life sentence for the 63-year-old Sigillito. More »

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British Lending Program, J. Scott Brown, Judge Linda Reade, Martin Sigilitto, Mary O'Sullivan, Sebastian Rucci, sentencing
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Bishop Sigillito

Sigillito's Motion for New Trial Denied; His Associate, J. Scott Brown, Is Sentenced

By Nicholas Phillips Wed., Aug. 8 2012 at 7:31 AM
Categories: Bishop Sigillito
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James Scott Brown will look like this for the next three years, thanks to his role in the $52 million fraud called "The British Lending Program"
A couple big developments yesterday in the criminal prosecution of the largest Ponzi scheme in St. Louis history, a.k.a., "The British Lending Program":

1) Bishop Martin Sigillito, convicted by a jury last April for masterminding the $52 million fraud, will not be getting a new trial.

On Tuesday, Judge Linda Reade denied his request for a do-over. He had filed it in May, arguing that federal prosecutors had tainted the jury's minds by referring more than once to infamous huckster Bernie Madoff. He further alleged that they intimidated an expert defense witness, and allowed victims to talk about the case outside of trial. Reade disagreed (read her decision here).

Of course, Sigillito still has the right to appeal. (Read our original feature on the Ponzi scheme here.)

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British Lending Program, J. Scott Brown, Judge Linda Reade, Martin Sigilitto
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Bishop Sigillito

Marty Sigillito, Convicted of Biggest Ponzi Scheme in Local History, Wants a New Trial

By Nicholas Phillips Fri., May 4 2012 at 9:00 AM
Categories: Bishop Sigillito
Thumbnail image for sigillito2forweb.jpg
Bishop Martin Sigillito wants a new trial
Last month, a federal jury convicted Martin Sigillito (a lawyer and American Anglican bishop) of running a $66 million Ponzi scheme.

Now, he feels he deserves a new trial. The reason: "sustained governmental misconduct."

In a motion filed Wednesday, Sigillito's attorney, Doug Roller, argued that federal prosecutors "improperly influenced the jury" by referring more than once to Bernie Madoff (a slimeball who needs no introduction). Roller also alleges that they intimidated an expert defense witness, and allowed victims to talk about the case outside of trial.

Read the filed motion after the jump.

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Doug Roller, Martin Sigilitto
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Bishop Sigillito

Bishop Martin Sigillito Found Guilty in Ponzi Scheme

By Paul Friswold Fri., Apr. 13 2012 at 12:39 PM
Categories: Bishop Sigillito, Follow That Story, See You in Court!
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Bisop Sigillito
Martin Sigillito, the American Anglican Bishop and lawyer who was accused of being at the center of a massive real estate Ponzi scheme that fleeced the wealthy and the working class alike here in St. Louis, was found guilty this morning on 20 counts of wire fraud, mail fraud, money laundering and conspiracy. A sentencing date has not been set. 

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American Anglican Church, Martin Sigilitto, Ponzi schemes
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Bishop Sigillito

Martin Sigillito, Alleged Ponzi Schemer, Defends Himself by Blaming Whistleblowing Secretary

By Nicholas Phillips Mon., Mar. 26 2012 at 12:40 PM
Categories: Bishop Sigillito
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Liz Stajduhar-Perigen worked as secretary to Bishop Sigillito
​Martin Sigillito, a Clayton attorney and American Anglican bishop accused of running a $66 million Ponzi scheme, is now defending himself at his federal trial by blaming the secretary who blew the whistle on him.

(See our original feature that broke the story and follow-ups).

The secretary, Liz Stajduhar-Perigen, went to the FBI in May 2010 with documentary evidence of her employer's activities, now known in court filings as "the British Lending Program" that, over a decade, allegedly scammed 150 victims on multiple continents.

The former secretary's hands are not exactly clean, it appears: Right before Sigillito's trial, Stajduhar-Perigen pleaded guilty to tax offenses relating to $300,000 that she herself stole from Bishop Sigillito.

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Liz Stajduhar, Martin Sigillito, Ponzi scheme, Steve Holtshouser
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Crime

Today Begins Trial of Martin Sigillito, Allegedly the Biggest Ponzi Schemer in St. Louis History

By Nicholas Phillips Mon., Mar. 19 2012 at 10:45 AM
Categories: Bishop Sigillito, Crime
Thumbnail image for bishopring.jpg
Trial of Bishop Martin Sigillito Begins Today
​The criminal trial of Martin Sigillito begins today, and it's going to be a doozy -- the federal Eastern District of Missouri has set aside four full weeks for it.

Sigillito, an American Anglican bishop, stands accused of running a real-estate investment scam that fleeced wealthy Racquet Club members and regular Joes alike out of some $66 million. If true, that would be the biggest Ponzi scheme in local history, the feds say. 

(See our original feature that broke the story and our follow-ups).

A total of 83 witnesses (!!!) are reportedly on the list to testify, and the jury will be faced with so much financial documentary evidence that the government has had to produce "summaries."

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British Lending Program, Doug Roller, Jess Michaelsen, Judge Henry Autrey, Judge Linda Reade, Kevin Curran, Lucille Liggett, Martin Sigillito, merican Anglican Church, Richard Finneran, Steve Holtshouser
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Bishop Sigillito

Martin Sigillito's Co-Defendants Plead Guilty

By Nicholas Phillips Mon., Sep. 19 2011 at 6:30 AM
Categories: Bishop Sigillito
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J. Scott Brown and Derek Smith admitted to joining in a huge Ponzi scheme worth $52 million.
​Bishop/attorney Martin Sigillito has chosen to continue fighting federal charges that he ran a $52 million Ponzi scheme -- perhaps the biggest in state history (see our feature here).

But now he stands alone.

Both of his co-defendants -- Kansas City-based lawyer J. Scott Brown and English real-estate developer Derek Smith -- originally pleaded "not guilty" to mail and wire fraud, but changed their pleas to guilty on Friday, according to court records.

Sentencing has been scheduled for April. The maximum punishment for each man would be five years in the pen and a quarter-million dollars in fines.

Sure is funny: In August 2010, when Daily RFT asked Brown in a phone interview about the allegations against him, he professed to be "shocked" at what victims were claiming.

He must've regained his memory!

Sigillito's jury trial is set to begin in March. For the Department of Justice's version of the crime, click here.

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Derek J. Smith, J. Scott Brown, Martin Sigillito, Ponzi scheme
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Bishop Sigillito

BREAKING: Bishop/Attorney Martin Sigillito Indicted

By Nicholas Phillips Wed., May 4 2011 at 4:16 PM
Categories: Bishop Sigillito
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Bishop/Attorney Marty Sigillito
​Updated 4:16 p.m. with press release outlining indictment.

We have all but official confirmation that Martin Sigillito -- the Clayton attorney and American Anglican bishop who already stands accused in civil court of running a $45 million ponzi scheme -- has finally been indicted by a federal grand jury.

Again: No official confirmation, but the word is that Sigillito turned himself in today and has already appeared before a federal judge. Stay tuned.

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Anglican, bishop, British Lending Program, Clayton, Derek J. Smith, indicted, indictment, Jame Brown, James Scott Brown, Martin Sigillito, Ponzi
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Bishop Sigillito

Bishop Marty Sigillito: A New Filing Suggests Indictment Is On the Way

By Nicholas Phillips Thu., Jan. 13 2011 at 10:48 AM
Categories: Bishop Sigillito
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The feds are comin' after Bishop Marty
​We get asked about this almost weekly since publishing the feature, White Collar Crime, last summer, so here goes: 

Federal authorities have NOT yet indicted Anglican American Bishop Marty Sigillito, who stands accused by dozens of folks for running a multi-million-dollar ponzi scheme.

But the FBI has indeed seized tons of his fancy stuff (country home in Marthasville, Persian rugs, rare books, etc.) And to justify that seizure -- which Sigillito's lawyers have called a "frightening" abuse of power -- the FBI filed a declaration last month that pretty darn well resembles an indictment.

This is the first time the feds have laid out what they think the Bishop has wrought, and it looks worse than RFT originally reported.

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Acapulco, FBI declaration, J. Scott Brown, Kevin Cosentino, Marty Sigillito, ponzi scheme
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Bishop Sigillito

Bishop Sigillito's Lawyers Blast Government Tactics as "Illegal" and "Frightening"

By Nicholas Phillips Fri., Aug. 27 2010 at 9:30 AM
Categories: Bishop Sigillito
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Click here to read the filing!
​Clayton attorney and American Anglican bishop Marty Sigillito stands accused in civil court of running a $45 million Ponzi scheme. He's currently under federal investigation. See our feature, "White Collar Crime."

Bishop Marty Sigillito wants his stuff back.

The feds seized a whole slew of his assets over the past three months, convinced that he'd defrauded dozens of people in a giant scam. Now, Sigillito's attorneys, David Helfrey and Doug Roller, are slamming the FBI and U.S. Attorney's Office for "aggressive and inappropriate use of federal search warrants and seizure warrants." And oh, that ain't all:
The lengths to which these officials have gone in their attempt to bring Mr. Sigillito to his knees prior to the initiation of any judicial proceedings are both mind-boggling and frightening....


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David Helfrey, Doug Roller, Martin Sigillito, Mindy Finan, ponzi scheme, Steve Holtshauser
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