Misiona Patane, a 60-year-old resident of Lehi, Utah, has been sentenced to nine years in prison and five years of supervised release for defrauding over $3.4 million from family members and acquaintances. The sentence was delivered by U.S. District Court Judge Howard C. Nielson, Jr., following Patane's guilty plea in December 2023 to charges including bank fraud, wire fraud, money laundering, and aggravated identity theft.
Patane admitted to the fraudulent activities which took place between April 2015 and May 2020. Among his victims was a relative with a traumatic brain injury who had a trust fund intended for lifelong care. Patane exploited his position by opening and controlling bank accounts in the names of his victims and a charitable organization he managed. He diverted funds from these accounts for personal use, including travel and gambling.
Between October 2016 and 2018, Patane misappropriated funds from a trust meant to manage the finances of a vulnerable individual under court-monitored conservatorship in Utah. He deceived others about his identity and fabricated expenses to extract money from the trust. Additionally, he laundered money through the charity he was involved with.
From 2017 to 2018, Patane faked an audit of the charity and impersonated various professionals to secure payments for non-existent fines related to care services. By the end of this period, approximately $2.5 million had been spent from the victim's resources, with less than $150,000 going towards actual care or services.
The investigation into Patane's activities was conducted by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation division. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Tanner Zumwalt and Seth Nielsen from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah.