Alpharetta Man Pleads Guilty to Obstruction of Justice in Federal Court

An Alpharetta man pleaded guilty on Thursday in federal district court to consipracy in a federal civil case.

James Pefanis, 46, the owner and CEO of AME Financial Corp., a mortgage brokerage in Alpharetta, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to obstruct of justice, relating to a deception and false testimony in a federal civil case.

According to a release from U.S. Attorney Sally Q. Yates, the charges and other information presented in court: In October 2007, an attorney representing a former AME employee, named as “Jane Doe,” sent a letter to Pefanis stating that the former employee intended to file a sexual harassment lawsuit against him based upon events that allegedly took place on Aug. 16, 2007, in the presence of another employee, named as “John Doe.” Following his receipt of the letter, Pefanis asked John Doe to sign a false statement, which Pefanis had typed, denying that he recalled what had happened on that date.

Jane Doe subsequently filed a civil lawsuit against Pefanis in federal district court in the Northern District of Georgia. The false statement was filed in the case on Pefanis's behalf. He also then falsely testified under oath at a hearing in federal district court, saying that John Doe had provided him with the information contained in the false John Doe statement.

Pefanis was indicted in December 2010, on one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice, two counts of obstruction of justice, and one count of perjury. He pleaded guilty yesterday to one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice. He could receive a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 13 before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Story.