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A plea-bargaining agreement led to Pil pleading guilty to just one charge, stemming from $1.7 million deposited in Bank of America in 1995, all in increments just under the $10,000 level requiring federal reporting. The plea bargain stipulated that Mattie Pil not face any charges.

Pil faces the possibility of an 18- to 33-month prison sentence.

In the '90s, Pil became well known for his ads soliciting used cars, which were later sold at auction. In addition to the crime he pleaded guilty to, Pil was under investigation by federal authorities for alleged mail fraud, wire fraud and money laundering. The California Attorney General's Office and the San Francisco District Attorney's Office had filed civil actions against the Pils and JEC. All those charges were dropped.

— Joe Eskenazi