Complaint & 8226; guy allegedly raised 47M from investors, made individual purchases. The Salt Lake Tribune by Melinda Rogers

This really is an article that is archived ended up being posted on sltrib.com last year, and information into the article could be outdated. It’s supplied just for individual research purposes and might never be reprinted. A Hyde Park guy happens to be accused in federal court of orchestrating a Ponzi scheme underneath the guise of a online cash advance business.

The Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday filed a grievance in U.S. District Court against John Scott Clark, 58, along with his companies, Logan-based Impact money and Impact Payment techniques. The SEC alleges that between March 2006 and September 2010, a lot more than $47 million grew up from 120 investors who have been guaranteed luxurious returns for Wisconsin title loans funding loans that are payday.

Based on the problem, Clark offered securities through both businesses that totaled $47 million. About $4 million of this presumably grew up for equity assets within the businesses, although the sleep originated from investors whom consented to offer money towards the organizations for pay day loans.

But Clark, whom could never be reached for remark Friday, redirected funds for individual usage and outside small business ventures, the SEC alleges. He additionally utilized the funds from brand brand new investors to settle earnings to investors that are initial the problem states. Clark presumably told their investors that the firms could create revenue averaging at the very least 80 % every year and therefore investors could be entered as an operating that is joint because of the organizations to invest in the payday advances, the issue states. In line with the grievance, Clark offered securities through both ongoing businesses that totaled $47 million. About $4 million of the presumably grew up for equity opportunities within the companies, whilst the sleep originated from investors whom decided to offer money to your organizations for pay day loans.

Clark told investors their funds will be used to acquire listings of borrowers who had a brief reputation for repaying pay day loans and to invest in the specific payday advances, based on the grievance. He presumably promised the arises from the loans will be gone back to investors.

Clark built the scam through recruiting investors at industry events, attending cash advance seminars and employing salespeople to recruit prospective investors, the problem states. One salesperson received $500,000 to $600,000 over 5 years to recruit prospective investors to go to loan seminars and trade events that Clark would go to. Investors begun to whine about Clark into the autumn of 2009, once they could not get account statements, based on the issue. They even asked Clark to liquidate and get back their assets —pleas that Clark ignored, the issue states.

Clark made individual purchases of three Mercedes Benz cars, a 1963 restored Corvette, a $25,000 home theatre system, high priced furniture, bronze statuary and snowmobiles, the issue states. He also presumably provided relatives and buddies big money gift ideas. Under some pressure from investors, Clark admitted up to a grouped member of the family that has dedicated to the businesses that he had misappropriated funds, overpaid some investors and compromised Impact Cash and Impact Payment Systems, relating towards the issue.

Investors began reviewing the businesses’ publications and documents, discovering that Clark’s accounting staff recorded all loan that is payday as income instead of allocating the re payments to major, interest and costs. Those directions led to overstated income in statements proven to investors, the issue states. The SEC is accusing Clark of work of the scheme to defraud, fraud within the offer and purchase of securities, fraudulence relating to the purchase and sale of securities, offer and purchase of unregistered securities, and purchase of securities by the broker that is unregistered.