A former Pittsburgh policeman honored last year for his proactive policing on the North Side admitted in federal court Monday to his role in a mortgage fraud scheme involving a defunct South Hills company whose president is awaiting trial.
Santino Achille, who resigned from the force Nov. 5, waived indictment before U.S. District Judge Donetta Ambrose and pleaded guilty to bank and wire fraud conspiracy in submitting loan applications that he knew contained false information.
Achille was involved in a scheme with Century III Home Equity, owned by James Nassida, who was charged last year with bank and wire fraud along with his top loan officer, Robert Denne.
Denne and several others at Century III have pleaded guilty in deals with the U.S. attorney’s office in its case against Nassida, whom prosecutors say orchestrated a fraud scheme by using fake documents to fool lenders into making loans.
Like the others, Achille is accused of submitting false information as part of the scheme from 2002 to 2008.
He was charged in August by a direct complaint called an information, typically an indication that someone is cooperating with the government.
Last year three other underlings at Century III — Ed Dardanell, Robert Sobocinski and Andrew Boltzhauser — also waived indictment and entered guilty pleas in similar deals.
Achille’s lawyer, James Wymard, did not return a message. The U.S. attorney’s office does not comment on pending cases.
Achille joined the force in 2009 and last year was honored for his work at the annual Amen Corner Senator John Heinz Law Enforcement Luncheon awards. He and two others officers who patrolled with him won the Not on My Watch award for their aggressive approach to curtailing violent crime.
“We know the area very well and we try to use that to our advantage,” he said at the time. “We protect people that can’t protect themselves.”
Achille will be sentenced on March 15, 2016.
