The FBI confirmed its involvement in several investigations taking place at two businesses in Shreveport, associated with David deBerardinis. (Lex Talamo/The Times)
A federal grand jury has indicted Shreveport businessman David D. deBerardinis with five counts of fraud for allegedly scamming more than $96 million from investors and financial institutions.
U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced the indictments Thursday.
DeBerardinis was charged with four counts of wire fraud and one count of attempted bank fraud. He will not be arrested, said Henri LeJeune, spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office. A summons will be issued instead.
The indictment alleges that deBerardinis, 56, falsely represented himself from 2008 to 2016 to obtain more than $96 million from investors in Shreveport, across Louisiana and elsewhere.
In soliciting investor funds, he offered interest payments and a guaranteed return on invested principal, the indictment alleges, and he required investors to sign non-disclosure agreements "to lull investors into conducting minimal due diligence and to control the flow of information."
According to the indictment, deBerardinis operated numerous business entities and represented himself as part of the petroleum industry involved in the sale, trade and transport of fuel.
DeBerardinis "used computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices and caused others to use computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices in ways that perpetuated the illusion of legitimate business functions and activities involving the purchase, sale and transport of fuel," the indictment alleges.
The fraudulent activities included the use of fake bank statements, fake checks, fuel trade agreements, promissory notes, tolling agreement letters, news articles, in-line production tickets and other fake documents to misrepresent his business activities to investors, the indictment alleges.
DeBerardinis "would assume false identities and the identities of actual company executives when communicating with investors in order to conceal that his purported contracts and business relationships with third-parties did exist," the indictment alleges.
DeBerardinis has selected Baton Rouge attorney James Boren to represent him, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
DeBerardinis said in July 2016 in response to a civil lawsuit, referring to plaintiffs in the suit: "I intend to fight this on their behalf as well."
Some allegations in the indictment are breathtaking:
In one instance, deBerardinis is alleged to have disguised himself as an Orthodox Jewish businessman while trying to obtain investor funds from a New York-based private equity group. He even hired a professional makeup artist to help sell the ruse, the indictment alleges.
He allegedly created a fake check in the amount of $80 million from First Tennessee Bank, made payable to one of his companies. He then "falsely claimed to investors" that the check represented his proceeds from a prior investment, according to the indictment.
DeBerardinis allegedly used false fuel sales agreements to help him get "millions of dollars" in funding from PlainsCapital Bank.
He tried to obtain a $4.3 million loan from Citizens National Bank by presenting a fake promissory note representing $5 million in collateral, the indictment alleges.
He also allegedly used fake documents for JPMorgan Chase Bank and CCMP Capital Advisors, the indictment says.
He also is alleged to have falsely claimed to have obtained an international shippers’ license. Such licenses require vetting by the FBI and Department of Homeland Security.
If convicted, deBerardinis faces 20 years in prison for the wire fraud counts and 30 years in prison for the attempted bank fraud count. He also faces a $1 million fine, restitution, forfeiture and five years of supervised release for each count.
The U.S. Attorney's Office in Shreveport said the investigation was conducted by the FBI, U.S. Secret Service and the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office. U.S. Attorney’s Offices in both Shreveport and Dallas have been involved in the investigation.
DeBerardinis also has been the subject of civil lawsuits.
In July 2016, PlainsCapital Bank sued him in Dallas County, Texas, alleging the loss of $29 million to deBerardinis.
Then in January 2017, members of the locally well-known Gamble family of Shreveport filed suit to recover $7.2 million they allege was lost in investments allegedly secured in part by mentioning businessman David deBerardinis' financial success.
Denny E. Gamble Jr., Denny E. Gamble III and other individuals filed suit in First Judicial District Court of Louisiana against Todd Muslow and Richard Muslow and the accounting firm of Muslow & Juneau in Shreveport.
Also in January 2017, agents from the FBI, Secret Service and Caddo Parish Sheriff's Office were at two Shreveport businesses, one on West 67th Street and the other on East 70th Street, that were tied to deBerardinis, according to a business database.
Feds investigate Shreveport businesses tied to deBerardinis
Shreveporter caught up in alleged $29M money fraud
Lawsuit seeks return of $7.2 million from investment
Accountants respond in $7.2 million fraud suit
Will the deBerardinises attend Holiday in Dixie Cotillion?
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