Real estate developer accused of possessing child pornography

A Wisconsin real estate owner and developer was accused last week of possession of child pornography.

Brian Bonovich of Baileys Harbor, Wisconsin, faces 10 counts of possession of child pornography following a search warrant execution at his residence, WBAY reported. 

Sturgeon Bay Police allegedly discovered Bonovich using a torrent-monitoring site to search for and download child abuse materials on his personal computer. 

The warrant revealed over 70 such images and videos depicting preteen to infant children. 

Each Felony D count carries a maximum 25-year prison term. 

Bonovich’s bond is set at $7,500, with restrictions on unsupervised contact with minors and passport surrender. His court appearance is scheduled for Feb. 16.

Developers and brokers do break bad from time to time.

Earlier this month, a Los Angeles man is facing 110 felony charges and three special allegations for allegedly running an $8 million Ponzi scheme involving the development of buildings.

Between 2010 and 2020, Jeffrey H. Tamkin allegedly ran the Tamkin Development Corporation and the Public Facilities Investment Corporation, the California Attorney General said in a press release. 

Tamkin developed buildings for public agencies, and once developed, leased the buildings back to the agencies for a profit. He promised his investors — many of whom were elderly — high interest rates, provided them with investment memoranda and brochures, and personally guaranteed the investments, which many of his victims relied upon. 

The information provided to investors — some of whom he recruited from organizations such as Hillcrest Country Club, the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, and the Music Center’s Fraternity of Friends — omitted many material facts needed by the investors to determine the security of their funds, according to the release.  

In October, A California real estate agent will go to jail for six months for forging clients’ signatures on documents.

Daniel Montano, 29, a licensed agent with RE/MAX Gold Coast Realtors will also repay more than $100,000 in restitution and serve two years of probation, Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko said in a Wednesday press release. He has already repaid $68,500 to his victims.

Montano was arrested in November 2022 and pleaded not guilty to 15 counts of theft and forgery, according to Inman. Then in August, he changed his plea to guilty on four counts of forgery. He also admitted that “the crimes indicated planning, sophistication and professionalism, and that he took advantage of a position of trust and confidence when he committed the offenses,” the release said.

In 2020, the RE/MAX agent forged his victims signatures on multiple California Association of Realtors forms. He then sent the documents to escrow on the sale of properties in Ventura, according to the prosecution. 

— Ted Glanzer