Kris Roglieri Pleads Guilty in Massive Commercial Loan Fraud Scheme
November 21, 2025
by Bob Coleman
Founder & Publisher
Kris Roglieri Pleads Guilty in Massive Commercial Loan Fraud Scheme
Kris Roglieri, the former CEO of Prime Capital Ventures, pled guilty on November 13 to federal wire fraud conspiracy charges after prosecutors detailed a large scheme that pulled in more than $55 million from commercial loan clients. The plea brings a decisive turn in a case that has had the attention of the commercial finance community for the past year and a half.
Federal investigators say Roglieri promoted Prime Capital as a lender with access to large commercial loan funding sources through third-party partners. Borrowers were told that Prime Capital could arrange multimillion-dollar loans if they paid substantial upfront fees. According to the DOJ, the company never delivered a single loan.
Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany FBI Field Office, stated that Roglieri “built his lavish lifestyle on the backs of hardworking Americans,” adding that the “depth of his deceit was staggering.”
Between mid-2022 and early 2024, borrowers were routinely charged “due diligence” fees ranging from $25,000 to $75,000 before any underwriting took place. After that, clients were instructed to wire large cash deposits, often equal to 20% of the requested loan amount, into what were described as “interest credit accounts.” These deposits were supposed to be segregated and used only to pay down future loan interest.
Instead, prosecutors say the deposits went directly to personal expenses. According to court filings, client money funded luxury vehicles, private jet flights, high-end watches, and personal debts, including overdue tax obligations. Investigators also said portions of the stolen funds were used to repay earlier clients in an effort to maintain the appearance that loans were progressing.
Thursday’s hearing took less than an hour. Roglieri formally admitted to the government’s allegations and acknowledged the accuracy of the financial loss totals. He agreed to a money judgment of $55,484,676, representing the amount collected from commercial loan clients.
Roglieri also consented to forfeit nearly all remaining high-value assets seized during the investigation, including:
- Twelve luxury vehicles
- Six Rolex watches
- Two Richard Mille watches
- Nearly $700,000 in cash
- A Virginia Beach mansion
Federal authorities described the forfeiture as one of the largest in a commercial lending fraud case in recent years.
Two co-conspirators — Kimberly Owen “Kimmy Humphrey” and her brother Christopher Snyder — previously pled guilty to participating in the scheme. Both assisted Roglieri in communicating with clients, collecting deposits, and portraying the loan process as active and moving forward.
Owen is scheduled to be sentenced on January 15, 2026. Snyder will be sentenced the following day on January 16, 2026.
Roglieri has been in federal custody since May 31, 2024, when he was arrested on a criminal complaint. The court ordered him detained after determining he posed a danger to the community, citing threats made earlier in the investigation toward an FBI agent. A later detention review reaffirmed the ruling.
Before his arrest, Roglieri had been a visible figure in the commercial finance space, speaking at industry events, publishing articles, and marketing Prime Capital Ventures as a large-scale funding source. His company’s collapse in early 2024 left dozens of borrowers without the financing they expected and prompted a coordinated federal investigation.
Roglieri now faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. The plea agreement outlines a recommended sentencing range of eight to ten years, though the final decision rests with the court. Prosecutors have agreed to dismiss the additional wire fraud counts at sentencing.
U.S. District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino will issue the sentence on March 11, 2026.