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Kathleen Ann Gilio, a 55-year-old paralegal has entered a not guilty plea to four felony counts of preparing false documentary evidence when she notarized signatures for attorney Thomas Hastert.
Hastert is under investigation for real estate fraud, though no charges have been filed.
Deputy District Attorney Chuck O’Rourk and Nevada City attorney Jennifer Walters met Thursday for a conference hearing on the matter in Judge Candace Heidelberger’s chambers in Superior Court.
Gilio was not present, and Walters requested a brief continuance of the hearing to Dec. 4 at 1 p.m. If the two attorneys cannot resolve the matter, a preliminary hearing will be set.
In May, police and the state Department of Justice contacted Gilio as part of their investigation into Hastert and his now-defunct Glenbrook Basin mortgage company Loan Sense.
The state has interviewed numerous people in Nevada County as part of their investigation.
“It was part of the Hastert investigation. They were asking for the signature page from her notary book,” Walters said.
That’s when Gilio realized thumbprints were missing from four signatures, so she allegedly filled the void by stamping her own fingerprints in their place, Walters said.
“She had no intent to defraud anyone. She was simply trying to fix a mistake,” Walters said. “She tried to cover her mistake in a regretful way.”
Gilio was released from the county jail Oct. 31 after being booked on suspicion of the four felony counts, filed by the Grass Valley Police Department.
It’s been more than a year since police raided Hastert’s office and seized a truckload of files after both borrowers and investors complained of allegedly fraudulent activity. Investigators have said more than a hundred people, many of them elderly, are connected to Hastert’s business dealings.
“Because it was a notary for Hastert’s office, that’s why it got so much attention,” Walters said.
To contact Staff Writer Laura Brown, e-mail lbrown@theunion.com or call 477-4231.
Hastert is under investigation for real estate fraud, though no charges have been filed.
Deputy District Attorney Chuck O’Rourk and Nevada City attorney Jennifer Walters met Thursday for a conference hearing on the matter in Judge Candace Heidelberger’s chambers in Superior Court.
Gilio was not present, and Walters requested a brief continuance of the hearing to Dec. 4 at 1 p.m. If the two attorneys cannot resolve the matter, a preliminary hearing will be set.
In May, police and the state Department of Justice contacted Gilio as part of their investigation into Hastert and his now-defunct Glenbrook Basin mortgage company Loan Sense.
The state has interviewed numerous people in Nevada County as part of their investigation.
“It was part of the Hastert investigation. They were asking for the signature page from her notary book,” Walters said.
That’s when Gilio realized thumbprints were missing from four signatures, so she allegedly filled the void by stamping her own fingerprints in their place, Walters said.
“She had no intent to defraud anyone. She was simply trying to fix a mistake,” Walters said. “She tried to cover her mistake in a regretful way.”
Gilio was released from the county jail Oct. 31 after being booked on suspicion of the four felony counts, filed by the Grass Valley Police Department.
It’s been more than a year since police raided Hastert’s office and seized a truckload of files after both borrowers and investors complained of allegedly fraudulent activity. Investigators have said more than a hundred people, many of them elderly, are connected to Hastert’s business dealings.
“Because it was a notary for Hastert’s office, that’s why it got so much attention,” Walters said.
To contact Staff Writer Laura Brown, e-mail lbrown@theunion.com or call 477-4231.
