Loudoun Man Gets 7 Years in Beacon Hill Golf Course Scam

A federal judge sentenced Brett A. Amendola, of Ashburn, Friday to seven years in prison for duping investors in a $5 million Ponzi scheme involving Beacon Hill Golf Course east of Leesburg, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. The U.S. Marshals Service immediately took him into custody.

to carrying out the scheme in which he told investors that he planned purchase of the golf course and that resulted in losses of at least $2.8 million for more than a dozen victims, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.

Amendola faced up to 20 years after pleading guilty in to wire fraud. Amendola persuaded investors to give him money to be held in escrow during the purchase of the golf course and be returned with interest within days, according to the release. He instead used the money to fund family trading accounts, pay other investors and cover personal expenses, such as gambling.

To accomplish the scheme, Amendola posed as an attorney in the deal, according to the release, over the phone and in emails to investors.

In a related case, Jerry J. Mckerac, 61, of Las Vegas, NV, and Fond du Lac, WI, was indicted Thursday on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identify theft. According to the release, Mckerac also posed not only as an attorney in the scheme, but also as Amendola’s father.

The previous information was supplied by the U.S. Department of Justice and, where charges were made, does not indicate a conviction. For questions about this article, email dusty@patch.com.

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