Brooklyn Heights

Valvani lived with his wife, two daughters and their two dogs in the Brooklyn Heights neighborhood of New York City, in a brick townhouse built before the Civil War.

Across the street is the red-brick St. Charles Borromeo Roman Catholic Church, built in 1869. Father Edward Doran said Valvani didn’t seem like a typical Wall Street guy, working all the time.

“He was a lovely man,” Doran said. “He was very present for his family. He always seemed to be very involved with his children. I’d see him every day out with those dogs.”

On June 14, when Valvani surrendered to authorities in lower Manhattan, the federal judge overseeing the case required that he post the home as part of his $5 million bail.

Five Felonies

Lean and over six feet tall, Valvani appeared in federal court wearing a pale lavender shirt with rolled-up sleeves and pressed gray slacks.

U.S. District Judge Sidney Stein told Valvani he was charged with five felonies -- two counts of conspiracy, two counts of securities fraud and one count of wire fraud.

When Valvani said, “Not guilty, your honor,” he looked dazed.

Cooperating Witnesses