Fresno man sentenced in federal fraud case. He’s ordered to pay $1.9 million in restitution

Two years after his arrest, a Fresno man has been sentenced in federal court in a fraud case worth more than $1 million dollars.

Kenneth Shane Patterson, 44, on Monday was given five years and six months in prison and has been ordered to pay $1.9 million in restitution for wire and bank fraud and for tax evasion, according to a statement from the Department of Justice.

Last year, Patterson pleaded guilty to receiving $1 million from a small business owner in Southern California. The business owner believed the money was being used to clear liens and pay expenses on a deal to buy a skilled nursing facility in Pasadena at below market value.

Patterson instead spent the money on unrelated business expenses and his own gambling, the statement said.

Patterson also defrauded Bank of America in a check-writing scheme worth $230,000 and evaded paying federal income tax as far back as 2003, the Justice Department said.

At the time of his arrest, Patterson faced a maximum combined sentence of 55 years in prison and more than $1 million in fines.