FORT MYERS — Southwest Florida roofing business owner Casey Crowther has asked a judge for leniency ahead of sentencing for a fraud conviction, according to court documents.
Crowther was found guilty in March on four counts including bank fraud, making false statements to financial institutions, and illegal monetary transactions. His requests for an acquittal and a new trial, filed last week, were denied by a Lee County judge.
In documents filed June 23, Crowther's attorneys requested a punishment that is “sufficient but not greater than necessary” ahead of sentencing, which is scheduled for Tuesday.
"As stated in his letter to the Court, Mr. Crowther takes full responsibility for the mortgage fraud and deeply regrets his actions," reads the document. His attorneys argue his case "appears to be the only legitimate company prosecuted by the federal government who paid its employees in full." They go on to argue:
The possible loss of his business that he spent the last 5 years of his life building, the inevitable loss of his contractor’s license which is the only career he has ever known, the significant amount of money still owed on the loan, the loss of his home, and the substantial harm to his reputation are all significant punishments.
The owner of Target Roofing & Sheet Metal will have to forfeit a 40-foot catamaran, real property in St. James City, and $2,098,700 as part of the verdict.
