Christine Gendron, a 61-year-old woman from Feeding Hills, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty on June 13, 2025, in federal court to helping cheat banks out of millions of dollars. Gendron is a certified public accountant who worked as the financial manager for JLL Realty Developers, LLC, a company owned by her sister Jeanette Norman and brother-in-law Louis R. Masaschi.
Gendron admitted to working with Masaschi—and allegedly Norman—to provide banks and lenders with fake documents that made their properties look more profitable than they really were. These documents were used to secure large commercial loans. Once the money was loaned, the group often failed to make payments, leaving the lenders with heavy losses.
U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni has scheduled Gendron’s sentencing for September 30, 2025. She faces up to 30 years in prison, plus fines and supervised release.
Fake Rent Rolls and Forged Leases
The fraud centered around phony paperwork. Gendron and her partners gave lenders documents like fake rent rolls and forged lease agreements to make it seem like their buildings were fully rented and earning good money. Rent rolls show who is renting units and how much they pay, while lease agreements prove those arrangements.
Banks rely on this information to decide whether to approve a loan. In this case, Gendron and Masaschi used those documents to trick lenders into approving loans for properties in Springfield and East Longmeadow, Massachusetts, as well as Enfield, Connecticut.
The buildings did not earn as much income as claimed. After the loans were approved, the companies behind them made little or no effort to repay. The losses to lenders eventually added up to more than $19 million.
Gendron’s brother-in-law, Louis Masaschi, pleaded guilty earlier this year to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and two counts of wire fraud. His sentencing is set for July 23, 2025. Jeanette Norman, Gendron’s sister, has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial in October 2025.
Dozens of Companies and a Widening Case
Gendron’s role was part of a larger web of companies and properties controlled by Masaschi and Norman. They were partners in dozens of limited liability companies, including JLL Realty Developers, LLC. These companies owned mostly commercial buildings across Western Massachusetts and Connecticut.
According to prosecutors, Gendron handled financial documents for many of these companies. The fraud was not a one-time event but took place over a period involving multiple loans and properties. In many cases, the companies defaulted on the loans, failing to pay back what was owed.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven H. Breslow from the Springfield Branch Office. The investigation was led by the FBI’s Boston Division, with Special Agent in Charge Ted E. Docks and U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley announcing the charges.
The conspiracy to commit bank fraud charge is one of the most serious financial crimes under federal law. It carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, a fine of up to $1 million or twice the total loss, and several years of supervised release. Sentences are ultimately decided by a federal judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and applicable statutes.
Authorities emphasized that while Christine Gendron and Louis Masaschi have admitted guilt, Jeanette Norman remains innocent unless proven guilty at her upcoming trial.
