Misiona Patane, a 60-year-old resident of Lehi, Utah, has been sentenced to nine years in prison followed by five years of supervised release for defrauding over $3.4 million from victims. The sentencing was delivered by U.S. District Court Judge Howard C. Nielson, Jr., after Patane pleaded guilty to charges including bank fraud, wire fraud, money laundering, and aggravated identity theft.
Patane's fraudulent activities spanned from April 2015 to May 2020. He exploited his position of trust to deceive family members and acquaintances, including a relative with a traumatic brain injury who had a trust fund for lifelong care. Patane managed bank accounts in the names of his victims and a charitable organization he was involved with, diverting funds for personal use such as travel and gambling.
From October 2016 through 2018, Patane misappropriated significant amounts from a trust established for managing the finances of a vulnerable individual under court-monitored conservatorship in Utah. He misrepresented his identity and fabricated expenses to extract money from the trust while using the charity to launder funds.
In addition to creating fake audits and impersonating various professionals between 2017 and 2018, Patane funneled payments to himself under false pretenses. His actions left one victim financially destitute within three years.
The investigation into this case was conducted by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation team. Assistant United States Attorneys Tanner Zumwalt and Seth Nielsen prosecuted the case on behalf of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah.
