http://www.sltrib.com/news/5200725-155/utahs-formerly-fastest-growing-company-files-for

CEO resigns. Guess where he went to school? BYU. Utah Business Magazines Man of the Year in 2014. The guy named in 2013 is already in jail (another BYU Grad). Utah gives mormon crooks business awards, while the Feds shut them down and put them in jail.
For a State that brags about their religious righteousness, we sure have an unusually high level of fraud, theft and deceit.

We often read this claim regarding disproportionately high incidence of fraud among Mormons; I'd love to see did real data on this claim.

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865665746/Utahs-fraud-epidemic-Victims-share-anger-embarrassment-hurt.html

From the article;"This story isn't unusual in Utah. It happens all too often, fueling the state's reputation as the fraud capital of the United States."

http://rqn.com/blog/utahsecuritiesfraud/category/affinity-fraud/#.WPow4BP1DIU

"FBI supervisory special agent Mike Pickett, who heads the white-collar unit in the Salt Lake field office, estimates the annual dollar amount of fraud in Utah now exceeds $2 billion.
Utah Attorney General said affinity fraud is “rampant” in Utah. He has also used the word “epidemic” to describe what’s happening in the state, and that is despite aggressive efforts to prosecute criminals and educate an unsuspecting public.\


http://universe.byu.edu/2014/06/16/affinity-fraud-continues-to-plague-utahns-and-mormons/

Just for starters.


"Affinity fraud continues to plague Utahns and Mormons"

"Seems to me if a higher portion of a community is of a certain religion, certain ethnic heritage, certain political leaning, then a higher portion of the crimes would be from that class of religion, heritage, etc."

Yes, but the entire State of Utah is on top of the country. These people are using their religion and position (Stake Prez, Bishop, etc) to commit crimes. I doubt a bank robber in Boston or a Ponzi schemer in R.I are using their Catholicism to promote their criminal activity.

Even Deseret "News" admits that Utah is a hot spot for affinity fraud.

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865665746/Utahs-fraud-epidemic-Victims-share-anger-embarrassment-hurt.html
Among LDS fraudsters are:

Kurk Branham Barton (with support of BYU QB/coach Ty Detmer). Scam--Ponzi scheme. Article Date: 8/17/2011. Amount allegedly defrauded: $50 million;

Robert and Martin Hooker: Scam--Montana Gold Mine. Article Date: 1/30/2998. Amount allegedly defrauded: $2 million;

Shane Baldwin: Scam--Distressed debt secured by “property.” Article Date: 6/1/2015; amount allegedly defrauded, $14 million;

Curtis DeYoung: Scam--Misappropriated pension funds; article date, 2/26/2015; amount allegedly defrauded, $24 million;

Robert Hollaway: Scam--Ponzi scheme based on computer software.; article date, 8/7/2014; amount allegedly defrauded, $25 million; and

Rick Koerber: Scam--Ponzi scheme based on alleged real estate holdings; article Date, 8/25/2014; amount allegedly defrauded, $100 million.

Don't forget minor LDS general authority R. Dean Udy, sentenced to 1-10 years in federal prison for affinity fraud.

Lastly, never forget L. Wynn Johnson, convicted in the Bonneville Pacific scam. Served one of 10 years, much of it at home in an ankle bracelet after a heart attack in prison. Was given permission to work in temple with his ankle bracelet. After release, put back into stake leadership. Later went on non-proselyting mission to BYU-H, where he and his wife were-I shit you not--guest faculty members, in economics, as I recall.

edited: forgot the link.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/21/2017 01:45PM by cludgie.

Seems to me if a higher portion of a community is of a certain religion, certain ethnic heritage, certain political leaning, then a higher portion of the crimes would be from that class of religion, heritage, etc.

If you check the criminal statistics in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, or New Jersey, you'd probably find that Catholics commit a higher portion of crimes there than members of other religions.

Sorry, accidentally replied to you above.

"Seems to me if a higher portion of a community is of a certain religion, certain ethnic heritage, certain political leaning, then a higher portion of the crimes would be from that class of religion, heritage, etc."

Yes, but the entire State of Utah is on top of the country. These people are using their religion and position (Stake Prez, Bishop, etc) to commit crimes. I doubt a bank robber in Boston or a Ponzi schemer in R.I are using their Catholicism to promote their criminal activity.

Just bein' good old boys from Utah. When they get out of jail, they will resume their stake leadership positions.

From a comment on the article.

"Does make one wonder if Mormons, after realizing they've been duped by their church, somehow feel permitted to commit fraud of their own"

This may be very accurate. "I got screwed by my church leaders and I'm going to get payback"

"Hey, Joseph Smith pulled a good hustle--I want me somma that!"

dammit, I had a great long reply and got "database failed" and lost it!

Anyway, I had a similar thought about Utah and anti-depressants: simply being a mormon is supposed to make you happy, like being a mormon *should* put you on a higher moral platform.

The church (paraphrasing) says "LDS members don't fight depression with drugs or alcohol, they visit their doctor and combat it with legal prescription drugs."

But...but...they should be HAPPIER with the "One True and Restored Gospel" and not *need* to fight depression!

Just like they should be more moral...

There is a deeper reason why Utah is the fraud capital of the US. It goes beyond trusting those they know from the ward. It's as if the entire believing part of them is used to feel good stories over fact.

Now dentist Seth lookhart in Alaska is in court for Medicaid aid fraud I went to his fb. It said byu Idaho. Now his fb is deleted. He billed Medicaid over million for iv sedation

3 to 5 years?!

It doesn't set well with me that these crimes are considered "white collar." These victims worked many years, saving what they could, and perps like this steal every commute, every day they showed up and took crap from a boss or customer, all of the time missed with family, raising their own kids, a day at the beach with friends. No, they weren't out playing hookey, they showed up and did the work.

If a lawsuit is filed against perps like this, what they can't repay their victims, the perp should be made to do the time in prison instead, even that means a life sentence. No more days at the beach, no procreation, no more chances to ruin so many lives for a perp like this. It's not the same situation as "debter's jail." The amounts they steal and can't repay could be used to calculate the time to be served. The more theft, the more time.

They protect a bank's money with the threat of long prison terms, they can do it for individuals.