A federal judge in San Francisco denied Luke Brugnara bail for a third time on Wednesday, concluding that a proposed $350,000 secured bond would not reasonably ensure his appearance in court.
Senior U.S. District Judge Maxine M. Chesney said she would not change her prior ruling, citing the history of the case. The judge questioned the source of the bond funds and said that money provided by a third party offered less assurance that Brugnara would return to court.
Brugnara had proposed a bond package including the $350,000 secured bond, up from a previously suggested $50,000, along with ankle monitoring and home confinement. His attorney, Matthew Dirkes of Illovsky Gates & Calia, said the bond would be covered by Margarita Prikhodko, the landlord of the Sunset District residence Brugnara rented for six months, whom he described as having a long, close relationship with Brugnara.
Dirkes argued that Prikhodko was well positioned to assess whether Brugnara would honor his commitment to appear. The judge was not persuaded, referencing Brugnara’s record of evading proceedings and noting that he appears when circumstances favor him but absconds when they do not.
Dirkes raised due process concerns, telling the court it has been difficult to meet with his client at the San Francisco County Jail and that preparing for trial while Brugnara remains in custody would be virtually impossible. Judge Chesney said she has tried to work with the U.S. Marshals Service to find a facility that allows easier attorney access, though she was unsure what other options were available.
The hearing was frequently interrupted by Brugnara, who insisted he should be released because he has not been convicted. At one point the judge ordered him removed from the courtroom twice for disruptions. After his microphone was muted, Brugnara made a provocative remark, to which the judge responded in kind from the bench.
Brugnara repeated that he wants to proceed pro se and pressed for a trial date next week. Judge Chesney set a hearing for Aug. 26 to formally consider his waiver of counsel, warning that continued outbursts would preclude self-representation.
Background on Luke Brugnara bail bid
Brugnara, 62, is being held pretrial on charges tied to a pandemic-era fraud scheme. Prosecutors allege he submitted fraudulent loan applications in 2021 for federal relief programs on behalf of his real estate investment business, Brugnara Corporation, receiving more than $400,000.
A federal grand jury indicted him in May 2024 on nine counts of wire fraud and three counts of money laundering. Prosecutors say Brugnara owes more than $2.7 million in fines and restitution from prior cases and has not reported employment to his pretrial officer during supervision.
He was released in August 2024 on conditions that he not commit crimes or possess a firearm. Prosecutors later moved to revoke bail after a Jan. 21 incident in Daly City, California, where Brugnara was arrested for possessing a firearm and allegedly threatening to shoot two people at Thornton State Beach.
He did not appear for the February revocation hearing, though prosecutors said he continued filing court papers seeking reinstatement of his bond conditions. U.S. marshals apprehended him on July 30 after he fled and climbed onto the roof of a nearby church, according to prosecutors.
Brugnara returned to federal court on Aug. 3, saying he did not know about the February hearing date and asserting he stayed in contact with pretrial services and his attorney. During that proceeding, he repeatedly interrupted U.S. Magistrate Judge Lisa J. Cisneros as she ruled to revoke bail, accusing the court of prejudice.
Judge Chesney affirmed the revocation order last week, stating it would be difficult to overrule the magistrate judge and grant another chance at pretrial release. Neither side responded to requests for comment following Wednesday’s ruling.
In 2015, a jury convicted him of wire fraud, mail fraud, making false declarations to the court, escape and contempt related to an $11 million fine art scheme. He received a seven-year sentence, $600,000 in restitution and $88,000 in attorney’s fees, following a 2010 guilty plea to filing false tax returns that resulted in a 30-month sentence, a $50,000 fine and nearly $1.9 million in restitution.
For broader context on federal criminal enforcement, see related coverage of a Clan del Golfo member sentenced to 150 months for cocaine plot. Additional background on federal wire fraud and money laundering statutes is available from the U.S. Department of Justice.