Pittsburgh Cop Pleads Guilty To Bank And Wire Fraud For Participating In Mortgage Fraud Scheme

Pittsburgh cop, Santino Achille, who established himself as one of Pittsburgh’s finest has pleaded guilty to Bank and Wire Fraud. 

The now disgraced Pittsburgh cop joined the Pittsburgh Police Department in 2009. 

The Pittsburgh cop was awarded the “Not on My Watch” award. He stated in his acceptance speech: 

We protect people that can’t protect themselves.

The now disgraced Achille was involved in a mortgage fraud scheme with Century III Home Equity. A firm owned by James Nassida. Nassida was charged with bank and wire fraud last year. 

Nassida’s top loan officer Robert Denne was also charged. They are also accused of supplying fake documents to lenders to approve mortgage loans.

Denne and several others have already pleaded guilty in the case against James Nassida. Federal prosecutors say Nassida orchestrated the fraud scheme that used fake documents to fool lenders.

The disgraced Pittsburgh cop is accused of submitting false information as part of a multi-million mortgage fraud scheme from 2002 to 2008. He was charged in August. Additionally, Achille is cooperating with the government.

Achille is scheduled to be sentenced March 15th. 

The Pittsburgh Police Department came under fire for not pulling Achille off the street when the federal investigation began over a year ago. Achille was allowed to stay on the force with full pay until his guilty plea last week.

Pittsburgh Police Chief, Cameron McLay, told WPXI-TV, “There was no reason for me to take him off the streets. The public was in no way in jeopardy with him having served with Pittsburgh police.”