An attorney for the farmer argued that a federal court made an error in calculating the multi-million dollar losses to banks and financial institutions caused by her client’s scheme.
ATLANTA (CN) — An attorney for a Florida farmer convicted of multiple bank and wire fraud charges asked an 11th Circuit panel Friday to overturn his 15-year federal prison sentence.
A public defender representing David Ridling told the panel that her client’s sentence for scheming to defraud five financial institutions, a financial services provider and one Orlando business out of more than $50 million is excessive.
In an apparent attempt to save his floundering farm, Ridling used false brokerage account statements, fabricated tax returns and bogus financial statements to obtain loans and lines of credit. He pleaded guilty in 2020 to multiple counts of wire fraud, bank fraud, money laundering and aggravated identity theft.
According to a brief filed in the 11th Circuit by his attorney, Ridling told lenders that he had millions of dollars in two brokerage accounts to induce them to extend lines of credit or grant loans that they would not have otherwise given him. Ridling sent lenders fake brokerage statements and tax returns, claiming he had between $8 and $45 million in the accounts when, in fact, he never had more than $2,000.
Ridling also impersonated two Charles Schwab account representatives and established fake email accounts which he used to bolster his falsehoods.
An attorney…
