New charges added in fraud case

An Alpine businessman, already facing federal charges in an alleged $100 million Ponzi scheme, is now facing a new indictment with 19 additional counts accusing him of entirely new crimes.

Claud "Rick" Koerber, 36, was hit with a three-count indictment in May of this year charging him with mail fraud, wire fraud and tax evasion. Prosecutors handed down a new indictment this week that includes a total of 22 counts and additional charges of fraud in the offer and sale of securities, sale of unregistered securities, money laundering, and additional counts of both wire fraud and tax evasion.

All of the charges stem from an investment scheme that was allegedly operated by Koerber from 2004 through 2008. Prosecutors believe he solicited investors and then encouraged them to "act and think like a bank." The groups of investors were supposed to recruit other investors, all under Koerber's assurance that their investments were "backed, collateralized or secured by real property," the indictment states.

Koerber was involved with several businesses in Utah, including Founders Capital, Franklin Squires Investments and Franklin Squires Companies. The indictment states that Koerber operated a Ponzi scheme to make it appear as though these companies were turning a profit to secure more investors when, in fact, "at no time during the operation of the scheme did the Founders Capital or Franklin Squires … turn a profit."

The indictment states that Koerber was still able to secure over $100 million in investment funds, $50 million of which was used to make "Ponzi payments." Koerber also allegedly spent $850,000 on restaurants, $800,000 on a restaurant venture, $1 million on "expensive automobiles" and $5 million on various money-making ventures.

According to the indictment, the money laundering charges stem from the purchase of a 2001 Ferrari 550 Barchetta, costing $218,896, and a 2004 Ferrari 360 for $213,460. It alleges that these vehicles allowed Koerber to perpetuate the scheme by allowing him to "create a false aura of success," which he also did by showing pictures of his mansion home, a large cabin in Heber that he called his "second home" but didn't actually own, and minting his own gold coins.

Two of the six counts of fraud in the offer of sales and securities arose from advertisements Koerber allegedly distributed in magazines telling investors they could "safely earn 1 percent to 5 percent per month on your cash."