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Park Avenue Bank CEO Charles Antonucci Admits To Stealing $11 Million From TARP, And To Being Too Small Too Succeed

Tyler Durden's picture




 

The saga of Park Avenue Bank's Charles Antonucci is over. The bank president who on March 15 was arrested on charges of engaging in a broad range of illegal conduct that
contributed, in part, to the bank's demise, but most importantly to stealing $11 million from TARP. Well, tonight the FBI has just announced that Antonucci has formally admitted to and pled guilty to securities fraud relating
to his attempt to fraudulently obtain more than $11
million worth of taxpayer rescue funds from the Troubled Asset
Relief Program ("TARP"), bank bribery, embezzlement of bank
funds, and participating in a $37.5 million scheme that left an
Oklahoma insurance company in receivership. Then again, this is what every other CEO in America is guilty of every single day. Which means that only thing Antonucci really pled guilty to was being a stupid enough to keep Park Avenue Bank Too Small To Succeed. As we all know the TBTF curtain is the only alibi all the other criminals in the industry resort to when the congressional theater convenes. Moral of the story: unless you can threaten the world with collapse, you will go to jail. And the penalty for this magnitude of stupidity is death: "Antonucci, 59, faces a maximum sentence of 135 years in
prison on the charges to which he pled guilty. He is scheduled
to be sentenced by the U.S. District Judge Naomi Buchwald on
April 8, 2011." So one down, and only about a million more to go... But not before they all collect the $144 billion in bonuses they have worked so to destroy shareholder value for this entire year (or so we can dream).

And here is tonight's dose of concentrated humor from the FBI release:

Manhattan U.S. Attorney PREET BHARARA said: "Today's
guilty plea, the first ever conviction for fraud against the
TARP, should send a strong message to all those who would attempt
to loot the public fisc or steal from our financial institutions:
This Office and our law enforcement partners will be
watching. Whether you are a bank teller or a bank president, you
are not above the law."

HA HA HA

We read on:

SIGTARP Special Inspector General NEIL M. BAROFSKY
said: "In March, Charles Antonucci become the first defendant
charged with attempting to steal from the taxpayers' investment
in TARP. Today, he becomes the first to be convicted. Today's
plea marks an important chapter and demonstrates that SIGTARP and
its law enforcement partners will ensure that would-be wrongdoers
who seek to profit criminally from this historic program will be
caught, charged, and brought to justice."

And so forth. If Preet Bharara fails in his FBI career (and he will once Jamie makes a few phone calls) he can always do stand up.

Yet the comedy continues:

FDIC-OIG Inspector General JON T. RYMER said: "The
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General
is pleased to join the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern
District of New York and our law enforcement colleagues in
announcing this guilty plea. We are particularly concerned when
senior bank officials, who are in positions of trust within their
institutions, are involved in criminal activity. Prosecutions of
individuals and entities involved in criminal misconduct help
maintain the safety and soundness of the Nation's financial
institutions
."

At this point if your lived doesn't hurt from laughing too hard, English must be your 18th language.

h/t Kyle

 

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Tue, 10/12/2010 - 22:38 | 645150 rfaze
rfaze's picture

You think these bankers would learn. If your going to steal for the tax payers you have to file the proper paper work.

 

Wed, 10/13/2010 - 07:28 | 645609 goldfreak
goldfreak's picture

ha ha

Wed, 10/13/2010 - 08:35 | 645671 TheWord
TheWord's picture

One of the most reliable signs of a Banana Republic is the capricious and selective application of the law to prosecute only those who are not important, or well connected.

Tue, 10/12/2010 - 22:40 | 645157 HarryWanger
HarryWanger's picture

Gotta say, irony at its best. 

Speaking of irony - amazing how those Chinese export numbers fell. Take that Timmy! And we all know, the Chinese never, ever, ever lie. 

Wed, 10/13/2010 - 11:31 | 646171 RockyRacoon
RockyRacoon's picture

It appears that some bankers are Too Big To Jail.

Tue, 10/12/2010 - 22:44 | 645161 Miles Kendig
Miles Kendig's picture

Stupid Doo Doo Dumb.  He'll get 119 months and 359 days and get sent to a camp  hahahaha  A punk in training

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdSLpHVT4GI

Tue, 10/12/2010 - 22:51 | 645179 Pants McPants
Pants McPants's picture

Great link.  Thanks for posting.  Stupid doo doo dumb!

Tue, 10/12/2010 - 22:42 | 645163 strenue
strenue's picture

Well XAU caught a bloody bid, then. Jeez, up $4.20.

This clown is small fry.

Tue, 10/12/2010 - 22:44 | 645168 sethco
sethco's picture

The preferred thieves have been chosen and serviced. We will prosecute to the full extent of the law anyone found to be stealing from the stealings.

Wed, 10/13/2010 - 01:15 | 645417 rocker
rocker's picture

Excellent. Hank Paulson complained about puking during the hearings. He said he was worried about the economy.

Not.  He was worried about joining Babba and Antonucci for a threesome.  

Tue, 10/12/2010 - 22:46 | 645171 themosmitsos
themosmitsos's picture

Tyler, c'mon!

That Judge's name HAS to be a joke! Buchenwald [close 'nuf], really? :)

ps: Naomi is "I moan" backwards, so she's all kinds of "name fun" apparently.

Wed, 10/13/2010 - 09:43 | 645770 optimator
optimator's picture

Don't laugh at names.  If Charles Antonucci had changed his name to Goldman or meier he wouldn't see the inside of a court room.

Tue, 10/12/2010 - 23:01 | 645194 blunderdog
blunderdog's picture

The gonna put him in one of those NICE prisons, ya think?

Tue, 10/12/2010 - 23:20 | 645240 Rick64
Rick64's picture

Wilcox, who played Officer Jon Baker on the beloved '70s sitcom about Los Angeles motorcycle cops, was nailed by the feds Thursday for securities fraud.

 Another big fish caught.

Tue, 10/12/2010 - 23:21 | 645242 The Grifter
The Grifter's picture

Only 11 mill from TARP?  Give me a break.  That means the real crooks should be getting > 13500 years.

Tue, 10/12/2010 - 23:27 | 645254 chindit13
chindit13's picture

I don't think my modest loansharking business can ever reach TBTF status and ensure my ability to hold the world hostage like Jamie, so instead I got me these plans off some website out of Pyongyang (plus some great hair care tips from the Dear One), built me some of them high speed centrifuge things, and after me and Val picked up some yellowcake in Niger, I'm quickly getting my U235 up to 93% pure.  Of course my cat's hair fell out and my goldfish can now fly, but that's just the cost of doing business.  I know a Middle East ally that will sell me the same missile technology they sold to the Chinese, so I'll have me a delivery system before Maxine Waters ever makes sense.  Gonna get the GPS coordinates of the Hamptons off GoogleEarth.  Heck, I think I just heard my doorbell ring.  Must be Christopher Hill wanting to negotiate.  I'm a reasonable man.  I'll settle for $139 billion.

Tue, 10/12/2010 - 23:44 | 645291 palmereldritch
palmereldritch's picture

[Note to self]: Contact Chindit 13 to obtain goldfish levitation technology for bourgeoning potential in future UFO greeter franchises.  (Only PMs to be accepted as tokens.  No FRNs. Exclusive territories!)

Tue, 10/12/2010 - 23:52 | 645308 chindit13
chindit13's picture

I was thinking more along the lines of interior decoration, kind of a New Age holograph or semi-virtual aquarium, but I'm game for your idea.  Let's go public!

Wed, 10/13/2010 - 00:04 | 645321 palmereldritch
palmereldritch's picture

We can call it  ET F'd!

(Edited to reduce enthusiasm)

Wed, 10/13/2010 - 06:33 | 645577 breezer1
breezer1's picture

don't need no delivery system. just get 3 or 4 suicidal middle eastern types to blow themselves up in malls when they're busy. instantly shutting down retail in america. thats worse than a nuclear bomb.

Tue, 10/12/2010 - 23:32 | 645266 palmereldritch
palmereldritch's picture

Park Avenue Bank?

With that budget I'd wager Charles was nowhere near establishing a monopoly...

http://www.waymarking.com/gallery/image.aspx?f=1&guid=804e03bd-c7fb-455a...

Tue, 10/12/2010 - 23:43 | 645289 JR
JR's picture

This is an election-year travesty that one criminal incredibly small in comparison with the multitude of financial thieves should now represent the strong arm of justice, and once Antonucci is safely locked away our financial community is once again pure and trustworthy.

From Frederic Bastiat, the famous French economist, statesman, and author: “It ought to be stated that the purpose of the law is to prevent injustice from reigning.  In fact, it is injustice, instead of justice, that has an existence of its own.  Justice is achieved only when injustice is absent.”

Surely, the situation with Antonucci represents a massive case of injustice in that major criminality is being papered over with a proposed message that financial crime has been found and routed out and justice has been served.

The posturing of the officials in this arrest is some of the most sickening dialogue every exhibited by civil servants.

Tue, 10/12/2010 - 23:58 | 645315 Milton Waddams
Milton Waddams's picture

Moral of the story? Should have never pushed organized crime to go "legit". We would have all been better off if they were allowed to continue to rake in cash from their street-level operations.

"Wait, small business person, now you wish all you had to do is pay for protection? Fuck you, I'm going global and I'll, through economies of scale, put you out of business."

And the irony of it all? The economic intelligentsia, at the height of the crisis at least, acknowledged that TBTF is a major problem; that you cannot have entities so vital to the system that when looted by pirates they need to be bailed-out or everything goes up in smoke. So what was the solution? Through forced shotgun marriages and vulture capitalism, make them bigger.

Wed, 10/13/2010 - 00:33 | 645372 JR
JR's picture

I pray, literally, for the day that the “entities so vital to the system that when looted by pirates they need to be bailed-out or everything goes up in smoke,” go up in smoke.  That is the day the Leviathan dies; that is the day America regains her freedom.

“The Creature has grown large and powerful since since its conception on Jekyll Island.  It now roams across every continent and compels the masses to serve it, feed it, obey it, worship it.  If it is not slain, it will become our eternal lord and master.” – G. Edward Griffin, The Creature from Jekyll Island: A Second Look at the Federal Reserve.

America lost her independence and Congress its sovereignty when the Federal Reserve Banks were opened for business on November 16, 1914, the day that banker Paul Warburg declared the Fed banking cabal free from all control and influence:

“This date may be considered as the Fourth of July in the economic history of the United States.”

Tue, 10/12/2010 - 23:57 | 645318 killben
killben's picture

"Then again, this is what every other CEO in America is guilty of every single day. Which means that only thing Antonucci really pled guilty to was being a stupid enough to keep Park Avenue Bank Too Small To Succeed."

 

Yep! If only he had the sense to make do with $11B in a TBTF Bank then he would be still the CEO.

IF you are a TSTS Bank then you do not have access to Governments and Fed's Tits (unlike Charlie Munger who can feed to his heart's content and more)and you should suck it up and cope! He did not.

 

Wed, 10/13/2010 - 00:26 | 645360 knukles
knukles's picture

When ya' think yer' safe wanking off in the Internet lounge just because you've got Private Browsing on, you're gonna get arrested. 

Wed, 10/13/2010 - 00:32 | 645367 Cammy Le Flage
Cammy Le Flage's picture

does anyone on this money crack board care about the miners?  this rescue was not a false flag or anything.  why are we discussin bankster fucktard b.s.  do you know who just got announced the Chair of the Board of Governors of the IMF and Word Bank.  His name is Papa.  he is going to mediate this madness.  And he is a very, very interesting choice.

 

Life is Good.  Look it up. 

Wed, 10/13/2010 - 05:01 | 645534 i-dog
i-dog's picture

Great choice with the right experience for the job: Chairman of a Select Committee on Influence Peddling and Political Contributions in a country the size of Cincinnati, Ohio!

No chance of him being swayed by the big boyz........

Wed, 10/13/2010 - 00:57 | 645395 Caviar Emptor
Caviar Emptor's picture

It's who ya know and who ya blow. 

In the Gilded Age it was robber barons. We need some new American heroes who steal.

Wed, 10/13/2010 - 02:42 | 645474 Hephasteus
Hephasteus's picture

November layoffs. My guess is another 15 to 20 k at IBM. Maybe 15 more K at Microsoft.

Here's a good EA layoff.

http://ealouse.wordpress.com/

Wed, 10/13/2010 - 02:51 | 645480 anonnn
anonnn's picture

Were Bharara and Barofsky wearing their GOTT MIT UNS comedy beltbuckles?

 

Wed, 10/13/2010 - 08:23 | 645647 Bob
Bob's picture

"Today's guilty plea, the first ever conviction for fraud against the TARP, should send a strong message to all those who would attempt to loot the public fisc or steal from our financial institutions: This Office and our law enforcement partners will be watching. Whether you are a bank teller or a bank president, you are not above the law."

 

The FBI has been gutted by Homeland Secuturity for the bogus War on Terror (the omnipresent mission of spying on the American public.) 

 

So it has obviously become necessary to outsource FBI operations to Mexico. 

I understand that the Juarez narco cartels have landed the contracts, which have been denomenated in pesos and sweetened with exclusive import rights for heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine in order to justify the the continued Drug War and increased budgets for ICE in the effort to stem the flood of "wetbacks".  Needless to say, the money the Mexican narcos are taking in from their FBI contracts are being used to push more drugs and illegal immigrants across the border to up the ante on this ridiculous circle jerk.

 

The remaining shells of FBI offices in the US have been told they must fill a quota of one token prosecution of a low level bankster each or they will be outsourced to call centers in India. And they will get the job done.

The FBI motto is “Fidelity, Bravery, and Integrity” (sic).

Wed, 10/13/2010 - 08:36 | 645672 cossack55
cossack55's picture

Ha, Ha, Ha, you used the word "moral". Ha, Ha.  Have you seen the old phrase "moral hazard" used lately.  Ha, Ha. No more morals in this too dead to fail nation.

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