Sarasota man sentenced for fraudulently trying to donate $3 million to ESPN's Dick Vitale

A Sarasota man was sentenced to four years in prison Tuesday for attempting to fraudulently buy two pieces of property and a Rolls Royce for $23 million and attempting to fraudulently donate $3 million to ESPN's Dick Vitale for cancer research.

Robert Schnepf, 48, entered a guilty plea for fraudulent use of a fictitious personal identification information on March 7, according to court records. The maximum penalty is five years in prison.

Schnepf also entered an open plea in a 2019 case where he was charged with larceny for more than $20,000 and for engaging in a contracting business without a license after he failed to install a new air conditioning unit and failed to do home improvements for a client, taking a total of $25,000 from them, according to a probable cause affidavit.

Circuit Court Chief Judge Charles E. Roberts sentenced Schnepf to four years in prison for the 2022 case and four years for the 2019 case, which is to run concurrently. Schnepf will be credited for time served in jail and will need to pay restitution. Roberts added he would recommend a prison facility which offers substance abuse programs.

Schnepf was charged by the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office in November 2022 after he posed as Robert Banagino to a Realtor between Oct. 26-28 in an attempt to purchase two properties fraudulently, according to previous Sarasota Herald-Tribune reporting.

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According to sheriff's officials, Schnepf reportedly claimed he had $127 million in his bank account and told the Realtor he was from New York and had traveled to Florida as part of his business for hurricane relief. When the agent ran Schnepf's alias through a software used by Realtors, she could not find any information on him.

Schnepf said he wanted to purchase an industrial property that cost over $18 million, which the Realtors agreed to sell him for $17.5 million, and a home which cost $5.3 million, according to previous reporting. He then went to the Mercedes-Benz dealership on Clark Road where he purchased a 2022 Mercedes Benz S-class for a little over $132K.

The Realtor also connected him to ESPN analyst Dick Vitale after Schnepf indicated he needed to donate some money for tax purposes and pledged to donate $3 million to the Jimmy V Foundation for Cancer Research, according to previous reporting. Schnepf received a signed basketball but refused to take a photo with Vitale.

What happened during Tuesday's hearing?

Assistant State Attorney Andrew Van Sickle called on one witness during Tuesday's testimony: Fire Marshall Michael Pritchett with the New York City Fire Department. Pritchett testified during the hearing that he works for the investigation unit for the department and that Schnepf was arrested in July 2020 and charged with impersonating a public servant and having a forged instrument on him.

Pritchett said the department became involved after receiving a complaint in June 2020 of a man going by Lt. Robert Hart, who was impersonating a fire department emergency services officer and had approached two other EMS officials asking for equipment. Officers found an emergency first aid bag, numerous uniforms and equipment when they searched his residence and car, Pritchett said.

Schnepf testified during his hearing and expressed vehemently that he had a drug and alcohol problem while committing all the crimes he was accused of and that he needs help, not prison time. He admitted to doing wrong, telling the judge he had spiraled out of control because of his addiction to cocaine, and later fentanyl.

“For once in my life, I can say that I am telling the truth and there is no hidden agenda,” Schnepf said.

Schnepf said he's working on turning over a new leaf in the Sarasota County Jail's recovery pod where he's participated in the 12 Step Program, took an anger management course and a parenting class.

Van Sickle pressed Schnepf on his past, including how he'd been given an option in a 2010 case to receive treatment but hadn't, how he continuously used aliases and how he hadn't paid the $12,000 restitution from the 2019 case.

Schnepf said during his testimony that he had been high when he signed the property contracts and attempted to buy the Rolls Royce, claiming that the Realtor had been in on what was happening. He described meeting with the Realtor at midnight at a Hooters when he was asked to sign the contracts in order to help her out.

He also said he had to use aliases since a Google search of his name brought up articles of his past arrests, making it difficult to get a job.

As Judge Roberts made his decision, one of Schnepf's victims attending the hearing held her hands pressed together in a prayer-like gesture up to her mouth, before a big sigh escaped after hearing the sentence.

Gabriela Szymanowska covers the legal system for the Herald-Tribune in partnership with Report for America. You can support her work with a tax-deductible donation to Report for America. Contact Gabriela Szymanowska at gszymanowska@gannett.com, or on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Sarasota man sentenced in fraud scheme to buy property, Rolls Royce