Florida private equity manager indicted in New York for loan fraud
By Syndicated Content
By Jonathan Stempel
NEW YORK (Reuters) â A Florida private equity manager has been indicted on charges he lied about his investors in order to obtain a $95 million bank loan for his $500 million fund, federal prosecutors in Manhattan said on Wednesday.
Elliot Smerling, 52, of Lake Worth, Florida, was charged with wire fraud and bank fraud, each carrying a maximum 30-year prison term, as well as aggravated identity theft.
The indictment came after Silicon Valley Bank sued Smerling on March 24, saying he fraudulently obtained the loan after saying he had backing from prominent investors like billionaire hedge fund manager and New York Mets owner Steven Cohen.