Wearing handcuffs and a red jail-issued jumpsuit, Albert Seeno III was charged Thursday morning with retaliating against a witness in a federal bank fraud case that ensnared his prominent East Bay homebuilding companythe first time a member of the well-heeled Seeno family has faced criminal prosecution after years of legal showdowns. In October 2012, Seeno's son, David, approached Puckett to see whether he had any bighorn sheep available to hunt. One catch: He'd get to keep the hill, and he'd get to build a house smack on top of it. Total expenses. The Gaming Control Board also accused Seeno of violating gaming license rules by associating with convicted felons, including one who was a member of the Hells Angels, which they called "the largest, richest, most sophisticated and best organized and most feared outlaw motorcycle gang in the world.". He has made several indirect threats to me if I didnt comply to his demands. They decided to go in together on a restaurant in Denver, and then set their sights on a motel owned by the Hill family along South Virginia Street, Paganetti said. Concord-based developer Albert Seeno III and Discovery Builders filed a lawsuit alleging the districts proposed Concord Hills Regional Park would negatively affect their planned residential development on an adjacent 606-acre plot. In its early stages, the project has drawn strong opposition from neighbors, who have accused Seeno of destroying an owl habitat. what does cardiac silhouette is unremarkable mean / fresh sage cologne slopes of southern italy / connelly funeral home of dundalk obituaries Total expenses. "Even as a little kid, he loved building things.". Concord-based Seeno Construction Co., which has plans to build 152 homes on the site, received about $300 in fines from county code enforcement for illegally bulldozing the trees. The judge ordered Seeno to remove things like an air- conditioner vent, but the company claimed victory because it didn't have to give the tower a shave. The three Seenos faced a Gaming Control Board allegation that they associated with unsavory characters including members of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club. . "I vouched for him at the time," Paganetti said of Whittemore. There are 40 other people named Albert D. Seeno Iii on AllPeople. The creek is gonethey simply graded it out of existence.. My favorite example dates back to the early 1990s, when he purchased a small shopping center in Pleasant Hill. "I have never met people who were more honest, who had more integrity or who I would rather have on my team than my two partners," Paganetti said during a rare interview, held in a Peppermill conference room. Marking the most significant fallout to date from a federal investigation into shady real estate practices, the former president of Discovery Sales, an arm of the Seeno family home-building empire, has pleaded guilty to bank fraud and blamed Seeno-run companies for orchestrating a mortgage fraud scam. But soon after buying in, Seeno said he began asking questions about the operation. The temporary parking of the taxable income allowed the Seenos and others to avoid paying taxes on it, instead paying a much-lower capital gains tax on the income at a later date, according to court documents. But if you dont want us, youve got to set us free, Seeno III said at Saturdays meeting. Now the controversies. And up and up, such as Gateway Tower in Concord. 14 things you need in your car before you drive to Tahoe, 6 Cabo hotels for your spring break vacation, Your Privacy Choices (Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads). A lawsuit accused Albert Seeno, Jr. and Albert Seeno III of threatening to kill lobbyist Harvey Whittemore after a business deal went bad. The majority of the Concord City Council made a bad decision in August 2021 and chose Seeno/Discovery Builders as Master Developer. by | May 25, 2022 | buvette nyc reservations | american cancer society 40 mile challenge 2021 | May 25, 2022 | buvette nyc reservations | american cancer society 40 mile challenge 2021 ", Albert Seeno added: "We have a very successful operation in Nevada. Matthias Gafni is a Pulitzer Prize winning investigative reporter for the Bay Area News Group. One of their most serious legal battles came in 2004 when the Nevada Gaming Control Board filed a 28-count complaint against Seeno Jr. for violating Nevada gaming licensee laws against committing crimes. "He loved his tractor," said Enea. until now, after the land use plan has been approved., Powerful East Bay Developers Accused of Extortion, Theft, Threats, Seeno Construction Accused Of Destroying Pittsburg Creek, FBI, IRS, Secret Service Raid Seeno Family Development Offices, Call in Pittsburg to Stop Seeno/ Developer at Center of City Elections, Killing of Endangered Frog Brings Charges / Builder Accused of Draining Ponds, Developer Gets $300 Fine for Destroying Trees, Seeno Firm to Pay $3 Million for Destruction of Habitat in Antioch, Developer a Throwback to Old Days / Al Seeno Has History of Bulldozing Plans Through, Seenos Sued Again in Nevada for Creating Intolerable Working Conditions, Seeno Company Linked to Suspected Southern California Mortgage Fraud Ring, Criminal Complaint Alleging Seeno Company Involved in Kickback Scheme, Seeno Company Accused of Destroying Owl Habitat, Another Former Seeno Employee Pleads Guilty, Agrees to Help Feds, Pittsburg Homeowners Sue Seeno Company Alleging Questionable Sales Tactics, Seeno Family Casino Chain Fined $1 Million over Slot Machine Shenanigans. In the lawsuits, Albert Seeno Jr., 78, accused his son, Seeno III, of erratic behavior, improper spending, and trying to shut his father and uncle out of their own companies, among other allegations. Seeno has even faced obstacles in the family fiefdom of Pittsburg, where the company has built thousands of homes. An East Bay Times report about a lawsuit filed against Seeno III by his father Albert Seeno, Jr. seeking to remove his son from his post as CEO of Discovery Builders raised questions of the companys stability. He estimates he lost $5 million to $10 million in assets. Former Wingfield employee Brad Mamer, who emailed his supervisor in September that he would not commit any crimes for the Seenos, said Albert III, of Pittsburg, once brought him into his office and told him We (expletive) everybody thats the Seeno way, according to Whittemore. We hope that you continue to enjoy our free content. Whittemore said that more than five times between September 2010 and January 2011 the Seenos directed employees to go to his homes to intimidate him and his family into giving them assets including jewelry, art, furs, wine and cars in lieu of debt payments. Albert Seeno III of the Seeno Companies speaks during a Concord City Council meeting on Saturday, August 21, 2021. employees. And even before debate begins, workers demolished a barn supposedly squatted in by drug users -- and cut down a few stately oaks that perhaps would merit preservation under county law in the (I hope) unlikely event the plan is ever approved. They wouldnt tell us what was being sprayed.. Concord CA 94520 (925) 671-7711 (925) 671-0856; Send Email; Visit Website; Share Albert Seeno We found 7 records for Albert Seeno in CA, FL and CT. The region surrounds the city, although the city itself is not part of the region but rather a region-level unit of . The act of a desperate man doing desperate things, Robison said. We hope that you enjoy our free content. But their most recent Nevada partnership has exploded into a high-profile, high-stakes legal battle with Harvey Whittemore one of Nevada's most powerful and well-known lobbyists, lawyers and political players after they claimed in a lawsuit that Whittemore embezzled and misappropriated funds from their partnership company, Wingfield Nevada Group, which owns the Red Hawk Resort in Sparks, the Coyote Springs development near Las Vegas and other businesses. Read More. Seeno Homes expanded into Northern Nevada in the early 1980s, Albert Seeno said, when they acquired hundreds of acres near McCarran Boulevard and Mae Anne Avenue from a man who claimed he won the land in a poker game. A Reno police spokesman did not return a call seeking a comment. Staff writer Lisa Vorderbrueggen contributed to this report. What's your favorite place for morning coffee in East Contra Costa County? The couple documented the removal in before-and-after pictures shared with this newspaper, along with photographs showing owls on the property and inside the habitat. And last summer, his company was fined $1 million after pleading guilty in federal court to destroying the habitat of endangered red-legged frogs at his San Marco project in Pittsburg. Grantee Without their lights on. I dont find it particularly appropriate.. They know what they want, and theyre not shy about going after it.. It had golf, fine dining, entertainment and a spa, as well as slots, he said. Send him an encrypted text on Signal at408-921-8719. Thank you for Reading! Many articles were updated several years after the original publication. Albert D Seeno 1915 - 2000 Born May 26, 1915 Death January 21, 2000 Last Known Residence Pittsburg, Contra Costa County, California 94565 Summary Albert D Seeno of Pittsburg, Contra Costa County, California was born on May 26, 1915, and died at age 84 years old on January 21, 2000. Albert D. Seeno Jr., left, has sued his son alleging that Albert D. Seeno III, after his appointment in July 2020 as chief executive officer of his father and uncle's businesses, improperly spent money and tried to shut them out from their own companies. The worker texted a photo of what turned out to be Native American remains to the Seeno developments project manager and asked, We dug this out should we call the police?, No, the representative texted back. These photos of Clayton were taken in 1991. Also that year, a Pittsburg couple that had trouble getting traditional bank loans was directed by a Seeno employee to apply for a loan through a Southern California mortgage broker that the FBI claims had set up a mortgage fraud ring. The Seeno construction foreman immediately stopped work and contacted a coroner and an archeologist from the University of California, Davis. Today, the partnership of four oversees more than 5,000 employees at six casino properties, Paganetti said, while he holds majority stock ownership of the Peppermill. Once you've been around for any length of time, you've had some sort of disagreement with them.". Charles Rettig has spent the last five years representing a number of Seeno family members after they sued the federal government, hoping to recoup some of the more than $159 million in delinquent federal income taxes paid by the family, and it appears he was successful in two of the cases. Last spring, months after Ayman Shahid agreed to assist the FBI in its probe of the Seeno family and a mortgage fraud scam, Shahids former best friend Albert Seeno III delivered a chilling death threat, according to newly filed court records providing the first glimpse as to why the prominent East Bay homebuilder was arrested. In addition to allegedly using Wingfield funds to purchase property and other goods, Seeno said, Whittemore spent obnoxious amounts of money on events, banquets and parties. But usually, Seeno triumphs. . Join to see who you already know at Albert D. Seeno Construction Company He said he has been in business with the Seenos for 33 years and has never had an argument or cross word with either brother. No criminal charges were filed, and an attorney for the Seenos on Friday dismissed the allegations. Seeno Construction had a permit to let its contractor bulldoze an old barn and a small house but had been instructed not to touch any trees. Shahid devised and managed a scheme to give secret monetary incentives to unqualified homebuyers, allowing the sales of Seeno homes to continue to be sold during the financial crisis starting in 2007, according to the indictment unsealed Monday. They also object to the size of the two-story homes on a street where one-story homes are the norm. Youre going down! Seeno III said Thursday the company has an entirely new staff, and now has more oversight. Paganetti said he was the one who introduced the Seenos to Harvey Whittemore a meeting that happened during one of Paganetti's family events. In a plea agreement unsealed Monday, Ayman Shahid implicates companies owned by the powerful East Bay family in the scheme, which he said involved inflating home sales prices to mislead banks about the companies financial health. Albert D. Seeno, Sr. Visitation is scheduled for 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. tomorrow at Church of the Good Shepherd, 3200 Harbor St. in Pittsburg. "They're unique," Pleasant Hill Planning Director Rich Bottarini says of the Seeno crew. He later did construction work, which is how his son fell in love with building, said lifelong friend Horace "Shad" Enea, retired Pittsburg fire chief. But their building ethics were praised in 2001 when a Seeno construction crew unearthed ancient remains at a West Sacramento site. Mr. Seeno died after a brief illness Friday at the age of 84. The details of the case remain under seal for now. Rossi said Mr. Seeno worked alongside his construction crews whenever he could. The Seeno family finds itself on the wrong end of another lawsuit involving the crumbling Wingfield Nevada Group company, as a former employee has countersued the family, saying they created intolerable working conditions by threatening him and asking him to relay threats to others. For two decades, the Seeno family had been informed that its 800-home project on 269 acres of former agricultural land in Yolo County was likely the location of a Patwin tribe burial ground. I call this the spite mansion -- because, as is often the case with our hero, there's a story in how the mansion came to be where it is. You have permission to edit this article. . Welcome! Kanter said Seeno construction crews filled in the creeks and ponds with dirt, destroying habitat for a variety of plant and animal life. In a stunning public airing of the internal fight for control of the businesses, Albert D. Seeno Jr., 78, has sued his son alleging that Seeno III, after his appointment in July 2020 as chief. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph.. On your next view you will be asked to log in or create an account and purchase a new subscription to continue reading. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph. A group of eight families who bought homes from Discovery Homes and its Seeno family-related affiliates have sued the builder, claiming the companys sales associates and other representatives deceived them by failing to warn them of an expensive special tax assessment on the Pittsburg homes. The act was discovered when police stopped two trucks leaving the site at night. 9 See similar companies for insight and prospecting. About Jacqueline Seeno Homes. The California red-legged frog is a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act in 1996. each comment to let us know of abusive posts. Be Nice. The son and grandson of East Bay housing empire patriarch Albert Seeno Sr. personally directed a mortgage fraud scheme uncovered by the FBI, and the illegal incentive programs were approved by a company attorney and outside counsel, according to a former executive and key government witness in the nearly concluded seven-year case. That was his passion," Rossi said. "They're very aggressive," says Supervisor Joe Canciamilla from eastern Contra Costa County, who knows the Seenos well from a stint on the Pittsburg City Council. These are the reasons why Pharrell Williams was named the creative director of Louis Vuitton, 100 colleges whose grads go on to earn the most, Here's where every state stands on math and reading proficiency amid 20-year lows. Thank you for Reading! "People came in in tears. A mix of clouds and sun. I'd never seen anything like this," Paganetti said. Powerful East Bay family sued, accused in, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Chart: Bay Area rainfall totals for this week, Powerful East Bay family sued, accused in killing plot. The slopes are grazed by ostrich and llamas. We (expletive) everyone!. He also wanted a much larger development than is now there, so large that Clayton fought him every step of the way. When the Coyote Springs litigation and allegations emerged in the Mamer Complaint where Brad Mamer alleged Seeno Family stole, threatened and intimidated him as a witness I personally support those allegations. Albert Seeno III, the owner of Discovery Builders and Albert Seeno Construction Co., appeared in U.S. District Court in Oakland on Thursday morning on the single criminal charge. He visited Cache Creek, an Indian casino in Brooks, Calif., and was stunned by all that it offered. Seeno didn't fare so well in Reno a few years later, when the company was ordered to pay $9.4 million to residents near 47 acres that Seeno was developing. "Where else is there a true destination resort? Burial will follow at Holy Cross Cemetery in Antioch. Robison said Mamer was a disgruntled former employee and that assets were transferred to the Seenos from Whittemore voluntarily, to pay back the debt. The letters accuse the developer of destroying a seasonal creek and related tributaries and marring the view along the ridgeline on both the Concord and Pittsburg sides of the Los Medanos ridgeline, possibly violating the Pittsburg General Plan and an agreement with Concord not to allow Pittsburg development to be visible from Concord. 40 acres dedicated towards new school facilities. Rylle Jones, who lives across the street from the site, called police and city hall Thursday morning to report the spraying, and a responding city inspector issued a stop-work order, according to Senior Planner Frank Abejo. Seenos to Harvey Whittemore after a brief illness Friday at the age 84... A region-level unit of the details of the way speaks during a Concord City Council made a bad decision August! 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