Former Visalia Business Owner Pleads Guilty to Bank Fraud

FRESNO, CA—United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced that Robert R. Prondzinski, 62, formerly of Visalia, pleaded guilty today before Senior United States District Judge Oliver W. Wanger to two counts of bank fraud relating to forged loan documents he submitted to Bank of the Sierra.

According to the guilty plea, Prondzinski admitted that between November 2001 and December 2005, he applied for business loans with Bank of the Sierra for his former company, R&E Produce Sales Inc., of Visalia. Prondzinski repeatedly forged his then-wife’s signature on personal guaranties and credit applications, and submitted the documents with forged signatures to Bank of the Sierra. This conduct increased the likelihood of securing business loans and lines of credit from Bank of the Sierra. As a result, Bank of the Sierra lost $175,000.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Henry Z. Carbajal III is prosecuting the case.

Prondzinski is scheduled to be sentenced on December 19, 2011. He faces a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.