State’s Attorney Arrests Banker

On Forgery, Oath Charges

Chief State’s Attorney Christopher L. Morano said Tuesday that a vice president of Wachovia Bank in Newtown has been arrested for allegedly falsely notarizing forged signatures on several real estate deeds and on a mortgage document for the benefit of a personal acquaintance.

Mary Ann Naventi, 46, of New Milford was arrested on Tuesday and charged with four counts of second-degree forgery and with four counts of falsely certifying as to the administration of an oath, Mr Morano said in a prepared statement.

Ms Naventi was a professional acquaintance of the victim and the victim’s husband and provided banking services for their businesses for several years, according to the statement.

According to the state’s attorney, in January 2004, the victim filed for divorce from her husband and started to research the status of her real estate holdings, after which the victim found several deeds for her properties and recognized that her signature on each of the documents had been forged.

The deeds purported to quitclaim the victim’s property to her husband’s brother and were notarized by Ms Naventi, according to the statement. The victim’s brother-in-law has made a sworn statement indicating that he did not sign any of the documents in question, and that none of the signatures purported to be his were valid, according to Mr Morano.

Also, the victim located in her house a Christmas gift from Ms Naventi to the victim’s husband, with a card indicating a personal relationship between Ms Naventi and the victim’s husband, Mr Morano adds.

In convictions, each forgery count carries a sentence of up to five years in prison; each oath-related charge carries a sentence of up to three years in prison. Both charges are felonies.

Ms Naventi was released on a $25,000 a nonsurety bond for a December 20 arraignment in Danbury Superior Court.