FRESNO, Calif. (KMJ) Matthew Billingsley was sentenced Monday to seven years and six months in prison for wire fraud in a massive scheme that bilked lenders and banks out of more than $30 million.
The former manager of the popular Dog House Grill on Shaw Ave. pleaded guilty last Summer to one count of wire fraud.
“The defendant defrauded victims out of millions of dollars. Over nearly five years, he repeatedly and deliberately committed crimes by altering documents, forging signatures, and otherwise lying,” said U.S. Attorney Grant. “This office, together with our law enforcement partners, will continue to aggressively pursue those who defraud victims and threaten our financial system through deceit.”
Federal prosecutors had asked for an 11 year sentence and $12.5 million in restitution. Billingsly’s attorney reportedly asked that restitution be set at $10.2 million. This will ultimately be determined at a hearing on Jan. 5, 2026.
According to court documents, between June 2018 and February 2023, Billingsley made false representations about having a brokerage account with millions of dollars in assets to serve as collateral for loans. Billingsley gave fabricated brokerage account statements to obtain more than $30 million in loans from individual lenders and financial institutions. The brokerage account statements were false because the brokerage account did not exist.
To obtain one of the loans, Billingsley used the restaurant owner’s name and signature on a profit-sharing agreement that Billingsley created and forged. Billingsley presented the false and fraudulent profit-sharing agreement to a financial institution to obtain a loan.
“Matthew Billingsley orchestrated a deliberate campaign of fraud, stealing more than $30 million through falsified documents,” said FBI Sacramento Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel. “The FBI, in partnership with IRS Criminal Investigation, put an end to his pattern of manipulation and exploitation. We will relentlessly pursue those who victimize others through dishonesty and greed.”
“Today’s sentencing sends a clear message: those who engage in deception to defraud lenders and abuse the financial system will be held accountable,” said IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS‑CI) Oakland Field Office Special Agent in Charge Linda Nguyen. “By fabricating brokerage statements and misusing loan funds, Mr. Billingsley not only betrayed the trust of financial institutions and individual lenders but also undermined the integrity of our financial markets. IRS-CI uses fundamental accounting principles mixed with advanced technology to build investigations that extinguish such financial deceit.”
