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a week later in Los Gatos, California. Brugnara represented himself in the trial, which was tried before Judge
William Alsup of the Northern District of California. By the end of the trial Judge Alsup had sentenced Brugnara to 471 days in prison for contempt due to Brugnara's conduct during the trial, including routinely ignoring Judge Alsup's evidentiary and procedural rulings, yelling at witnesses, throwing tantrums, and insulting the government's attorneys, including calling U.S. District Attorney Robin Harris a "Nazi" in front of the jury. Brugnara was convicted on six of the nine counts he faced, and sentenced to seven years in prison. On May 11, 2017 the Appeals Court affirmed all the convictions, rejecting Brugnara's argument that his decision to represent himself denied him a fair trial. The court also rejected Brugnara's claim that the art was fake and hence his refusal to pay or return it didn't constitute fraud, ruling that Brugnara had not taken the steps necessary to support his claim that the delivered art was fake, and, even if it were, his refusal to return the art (claiming that it was a gift) still showed evidence of an intent to defraud.
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in San
Francisco and Nevada. In 2000, 2001, and 2002 Brugnara sold properties and omitted the gains on his Federal Income tax returns. In 2010, Brugnara pleaded guilty to charges of tax evasion related to the sale of $ 45 million in commercial property and violations of the Endangered Species Act for blocking an opening in a private dam to prevent trout migration from Little Arthur Creek. Following his arraignment in the cases, Brugnara was released on $ 50,000 bond and ordered to have no direct contact with the witnesses in the cases. He was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison on the tax charges. On January 6, 2010 the government modified his release conditions based on allegations that Brugnara contacted the witnesses. He was later detained on January 28, 2010, based on allegations that he threaten a witness and released on January 31, 2010, but remanded again on March 5 for violating his release conditions.
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that
Brugnara had failed to file tax returns, conflicts with San Francisco regulators, and allegations that Brugnara had made death threats. In response, Brugnara stated that the Nevada Gaming Commissioners were "a bunch of wind-up dolls" representing Las Vegas incumbents, and threatened to file suit, but eventually decided not to do so, preferring to re-apply and address the Gaming Commission's concerns. In 2006–2007, Brugnara leased his 20,000+ sq ft, 11-bedroom Las Vegas mansion to
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306:. In 2005, he offered to purchase the shuttered St. Brigid Church in San Francisco for $ 3 million to prevent its sale to the Academy of Art University. The offer was not accepted, and the sale to the Academy of Art University went through. In 2008, Brugnara claimed water rights associated with property he owned near Gilroy, California, including a reservoir which he stated could retain 2,000 acre-feet. In 2008 Brugnara was in negotiations to supply the city of
168:
he owned 500,000 square feet of office space in downtown San
Francisco. At one time or another, his portfolio included 814 Mission Street, the Bulletin Building, the Westinghouse Electric Building, 735 Market Street, the Royal Insurance Building, 201 Sansome Street, the Pacific Bank Building, the Medico-Dental Building, and 351 California Street. Brugnara tried unsuccessfully to purchase the Chevron Building in 1994.
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restraining orders filed against him in 2008 by employees at his children's school. On May 26, 2010 Brugnara was release to self surrender to the Bureau of
Prisons. Brugnara's later request to withdraw his guilty plea and go to trial was denied by the trial judge, and the decision was affirmed by the
167:
Brugnara started his real estate career in San
Francisco in 1993 by buying a note for $ 1.5M for the Kress Building at 939 Market Street, foreclosing on the note, and then borrowing $ 3M against the property. Brugnara proceeded to buy and sell a series of office buildings in San Francisco. In 1997,
256:
In May 2014, Brugnara was charged with mail fraud for refusing to pay for $ 11 million in art delivered to his Sea Cliff estate. While awaiting trial on these charges, Brugnara was furloughed into the custody of his attorney, and escaped from the San
Francisco federal courthouse. He was recaptured
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On April 9, 2008 the grand jury returned an indictment charging
Brugnara with four counts of taking endangered species in violation of 16 U.S.C. section 1538, and two counts of making false statements to investigation agents in violation of 18 U.S.C. section 1001. Brugnara owned and leased property
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for $ 40 million, with plans to replace it with a larger casino and hotel, but converted the property into a shopping center in 2004 after the Nevada Gaming
Commission denied him a gambling license in 2001. In denying the license, the Gaming Commission had cited poor financial recordkeeping, claims
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During his detention hearing evidence was submitted demonstrating
Brugnara's threats including a city attorney, a court appointed receiver, his brother, his former mistress and their child. Also a witness who altered her testimonial to a gaming officer after he violated his restraining order, two
101:(born 1963 or 1964) is an American commercial real estate investor and developer. Brugnara became known for purchasing real estate in downtown San Francisco during the 1990s. In 2015, he was convicted of defrauding an art dealer and sentenced to seven years in prison.
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After becoming acquainted with his future wife in college, they married in the 1990s and have four children. Prior to his incarceration, Brugnara split residence between Las Vegas and a San Francisco Sea Cliff villa purchased from comedian
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In 1998, Brugnara was sued by the SF City Attorney for improper disposal of medical waste at his Medico-Dental Building. In 2000, the San Francisco Superior Court decided against Brugnara, and imposed a $ 1 million penalty.
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school. Brugnara was a competitive flycaster during his teenage years and set several national accuracy flycasting records in the American Casting Association which still stand today. Brugnara graduated from
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filed two escape notices for leaving a residential reentry center, where he was serving time. In his second escape Brugnara left for six days before being arrested by
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for over $ 1 million for six months. In January 2010, he submitted a $ 170 million bid to purchase the bankrupt
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1080:"SAN FRANCISCO / Sale of St. Brigid protested / Catholic financier offers alternative to secularizing church"
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277:. Brugnara was returned to prison to serve his remaining time. On May 21, 2024, Brugnara was indicted for
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Brugnara first became involved in Las Vegas real estate in 1999, when he attempted to buy the
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The artwork fraudulently obtained by Luke Brugnara is displayed in court during his trial.
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977: This article incorporates text from this source, which is available under the
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789:"Former commercial real estate investor sentenced to 7 years for art fraud"
512:"Brugnara drops threat to sue for gaming license – Las Vegas Sun Newspaper"
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542:
458:"Hot-hand Luke; Brash dealmaker returns, armed with cash and bombast"
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351 California Street, headquarters of Brugnara Corporation 1997–2009
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137:
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594:"Carl Icahn to take ownership of Fontainebleau Las Vegas resort"
767:"S.F. con accused of not paying for $ 11 million worth of art"
656:"United States v. Brugnara, Opposition to motion for release"
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of San Francisco, the son of a supervisor at San Francisco's
815:"Lucky Luke: Fugitive Who Escaped Jail Busted in South Bay"
930:"SF real estate investor's conviction and sentence upheld"
429:"AMERICAN CASTING ASSOCIATION - OFFICIAL NATIONAL RECORDS"
373:"SF real estate investor's conviction and sentence upheld"
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for $ 270 million, but lost out to an all-cash offer from
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Ginsburg, Marsha; Staff, Of the Examiner (June 3, 2000).
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from judicial opinions or other documents created by the
1171:
Escapees from United States federal government detention
1052:
Raine, George; Staff, Of the Examiner (July 24, 1997).
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their domestic water supply. In 2003, Brugnara owned
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in 2011. Brugnara was released from prison in 2012.
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Commercial real estate investment in San Francisco.
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685:"Developer pleads guilty to tax, poaching charges"
1161:American people convicted of mail and wire fraud
873:"Accused Art Thief Blames Jailers for Outbursts"
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648:
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150:Royal Insurance Building at 201 Sansome street
66:Commercial real estate investor and developer.
850:United States of America v. Luke. D. Brugnara
318:, although the attribution remains disputed.
158:The Medico-Dental Building at 490 Post street
8:
1166:Prisoners and detainees of the United States
1146:American real estate and property developers
716:"Developer Convicted of Blocking Trout Run"
955:"United States v. Brugnara, 24-CR-277 MMC"
904:"Luke Brugnara Gets Seven Years in Prison"
31:
20:
16:American businessperson convicted of fraud
844:
842:
741:"United States v. Brugnara, No. 10-10283"
285:from illegally obtaining COVID-19 funds.
46:1963 or 1964 (age 60–61)
538:"Michael Jackson Finally Emulates Elvis"
192:and the Las Vegas Shopping Plaza on the
1176:St. Ignatius College Preparatory alumni
620:"Big fine for waste disposal violation"
345:
1078:Guthrie, Julian (September 10, 2005).
339:federal judiciary of the United States
1026:Fitch, Stephane (December 22, 2003).
1021:
1019:
902:Kinsella, Eileen (October 21, 2015).
456:Feuerstein, Adam (January 12, 1997).
7:
992:Mullman, Jeremy (January 30, 2002).
813:Sherbert, Erin (February 13, 2015).
397:
395:
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298:. Brugnara is the nephew of former
289:Personal life and other investments
188:. In November 1999, he bought the
691:. January 28, 2010. Archived from
564:Stutz, Howard (January 19, 2010).
14:
1151:San Diego State University alumni
1141:Businesspeople from San Francisco
592:Benston, Liz (January 19, 2010).
536:Friedman, Roger (June 27, 2007).
972:
326:
119:St. Ignatius College Preparatory
994:"Luke Brugnara Makes His Point"
484:Guzzman, Peter (October 2000).
402:Raine, George (July 24, 1997).
566:"Developer Eyes Fontainebleau"
238:Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
1:
1106:"Searching for Cheaper Water"
1104:Bone, Chris (June 10, 2008).
871:Dinzeo, Maria (May 7, 2015).
510:Strow, David (May 16, 2001).
928:Egelko, Bob (May 11, 2017).
463:San Francisco Business Times
436:American Casting Association
371:Egelko, Bob (May 11, 2017).
765:Lee, Henry (May 30, 2014).
1192:
714:Tim Hull (July 17, 2024).
689:The San Francisco Examiner
333:This article incorporates
128:San Diego State University
959:Casetext Search + Citator
314:, which he attributed to
312:Christ Carrying the Cross
109:Brugnara was born in the
30:
857: May 11, 2017),
571:Las Vegas Review-Journal
121:, a private preparatory
117:. He went to school at
1028:"DaVincis Fingerprints"
934:San Francisco Chronicle
720:Courthouse News Service
82:Tax evasion, mail fraud
335:public domain material
253:
218:Health code violations
159:
151:
143:
304:Anthony "Tony" Ribera
261:Escape and wire fraud
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157:
149:
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99:Luke Dominic Brugnara
998:San Francisco Weekly
300:San Francisco Police
793:www.bizjournals.com
275:South San Francisco
37:Luke Brugnara, 1996
665:. January 23, 2021
265:In March 2024 the
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190:Silver City Casino
160:
152:
144:
134:Real estate career
79:Criminal charge(s)
827:on March 21, 2015
316:Leonardo da Vinci
267:Bureau of Prisons
182:Sun International
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49:San Francisco, CA
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354:"Inmate Locator"
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283:money laundering
55:Other names
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516:lasvegassun.com
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486:"Luke Brugnara"
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207:Las Vegas Strip
205:project on the
199:Michael Jackson
194:Las Vegas Strip
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111:Sunset District
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87:Criminal status
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961:. July 9, 2024
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63:Occupation(s)
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25:Luke Brugnara
22:
19:
1113:. Retrieved
1109:
1099:
1087:. Retrieved
1083:
1073:
1061:. Retrieved
1057:
1047:
1035:. Retrieved
1031:
1006:. Retrieved
1002:the original
997:
987:
979:CC BY-SA 3.0
971:
963:. Retrieved
958:
949:
939:February 27,
937:. Retrieved
933:
923:
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885:. Retrieved
881:the original
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829:. Retrieved
825:the original
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748:. Retrieved
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723:. Retrieved
719:
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693:the original
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411:. Retrieved
407:
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366:
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348:
332:
325:
296:Cheech Marin
292:
264:
255:
234:
230:
221:
175:
166:
108:
98:
97:
95:
58:"Lucky Luke"
18:
1156:1963 births
1054:"Young gun"
908:artnet News
669:October 21,
404:"Young gun"
358:www.bop.gov
271:US marshals
227:Tax evasion
1130:Categories
322:References
279:wire fraud
244:Mail fraud
186:Steve Wynn
178:Desert Inn
831:March 16,
820:SF Weekly
773:March 11,
699:March 11,
490:Las Vegan
441:March 13,
172:Las Vegas
130:in 1987.
105:Childhood
1115:March 5,
1089:March 1,
1063:March 5,
1037:March 5,
1008:March 5,
981:license.
965:July 19,
913:March 5,
887:March 5,
855:9th Cir.
798:March 1,
769:. SFGate
750:March 1,
745:Casetext
725:July 18,
629:March 8,
603:March 5,
577:March 9,
549:March 9,
543:Fox News
521:March 1,
495:March 9,
469:March 7,
413:March 8,
382:March 1,
90:Released
1110:Gilroy
1084:SFGate
1058:SFGate
1032:Forbes
853: (
624:SFGate
408:SFGate
377:SFGate
331:
308:Gilroy
302:Chief
123:Jesuit
659:(PDF)
432:(PDF)
213:Legal
1117:2019
1091:2019
1065:2019
1039:2019
1010:2019
967:2024
941:2021
915:2019
889:2019
859:Text
833:2015
800:2019
775:2019
752:2019
727:2024
701:2019
671:2021
631:2019
605:2019
579:2019
551:2019
523:2019
497:2012
471:2019
443:2023
415:2019
384:2019
281:and
184:and
43:Born
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957:.
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
