Chicago Radio: Warren Ballantine Escapes Prison

Warren Ballantine

On the eve of his October trial, former Soul WRSB 106.3 FM personality Warren Ballentine told Facebook followers he was looking forward to “Vindication week.”

Ballentine just didn’t realize how long he had left to wait — for a vindication of sorts.

The Sun-Times is reporting the wait ended this week, eight months after Ballentine’s conviction on six counts connected to a $10 million mortgage fraud scheme. U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly decided to spare Ballentine any prison time, instead sentencing “The People’s Attorney” to three years of probation and 300 hours of community service.

But the judge went further and declared Ballentine a “minimal participant” in the scheme. Ballentine lowered his head and appeared to stifle a sob as the judge announced the sentence. He faced as many as 30 years in prison.  Ballentine must also pay more than $140,000 in restitution.

Evidence at trial showed Ballantine and others used straw buyers to secure mortgages on 28 properties they never intended to live in. In some cases, it showed he attended closings for the same phony purchasers at two different properties within three days of each other, each time telling the straw buyers to lie on their mortgage forms.

But Ballentine’s attorney argued Ballentine merely acted as an attorney at closings and that Ballentine was not involved in any “hanky-panky.”

Ballentine, whose show was also carried on WVON radio before his indictment, made an impassioned plea to Kennelly. He told the judge, “I’m guilty.”

“But I’m guilty of being ignorant,” Ballentine said. “I’m guilty of not understanding.”

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