Neighbors, who declined to speak on the record, quietly wondered who Berg was when he and another man moved into the former Esterline executive Wendal Hurlbut III's home near the 72nd Avenue Landing and the Roanoke Inn in 2007.

Privately, neighbors grumbled at the extensive remodeling work that lasted for nearly two years. But they also were also pleased to find their private street was repaved and landscaped, courtesy of Berg's largesse. It wasn't until over a dozen FBI agents arrived and blocked the street at the end of August, said a resident, that anyone realized something odd was afoot.