The manager of Fresno’s Dog House Grill pled guilty. He connived in a $30 million fraud. The Department of Justice revealed his scheme. The man is Matthew Dane Billingsley, 39. Billingsley pleaded guilty to wire fraud.
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Matthew Billingsley Fresno Manager Pleads Guilty in $30M Loan Fraud Schem
Between June 2018 and February 2023, Billingsley hoodwinked lenders. He forged fake brokerage statements. These statements came from a bogus account. He used these lies to bag over $30 million in loans. The loans came from individuals and financial firms.
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Billingsley duped lenders about his loan use. He claimed the money was for other plans. In truth, he funneled funds to pay old debts. He also skimmed money for himself. To get a loan, he forged documents. One fake document bore the name and signature of a Fresno restaurant owner. This forged profit-sharing deal made lenders trust him. He then twisted this trust to win a loan.
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The DOJ will sentence Billingsley on November 10. He faces up to 20 years in prison. A fine of $250,000 also looms. The Dog House Grill has not yet commented. YourCentralValley.com has sought their statement.
This case cracks open a risky world of false loans. Billingsley’s acts show how fraud can creep close to local businesses. The forged documents and fake accounts reveal clever plotting. The lenders who handed out millions fell prey to smooth misdirection. It warns lenders to double-check details and challenge every claim.
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Dog House Grill’s name now links to a criminal case. The association could hurt its reputation, even if it did not know. The move to forge papers implicates deep deceit, not just casual mistakes. Billingsley’s guilt puts him at the center of this fraud saga.
His plea marks a step toward justice. Still, families and institutions face fallout from lost millions. They might look harder at the safety of loan offers. This scandal shakes trust in the Fresno community’s small business world.
Watch the case as it unfolds. It sets a sharp example of fraud’s heavy cost. Victims and courts now act to untangle the damage. Billingsley’s stolen millions show crime’s reach hides in plain sight.
