Monthly Archives: July 2013

UPDATED: Yet Another Local Ponzi Scheme Indictment – Newport Financial

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UPDATE: According to an article in the Salt Lake Tribune yesterday, Michael Kay Smith, 66, and his son, Quintin Fullmer Smith, 33, each pleaded guilty to two counts of third-degree felony attempted securities fraud as part of a plea deal with prosecutors in which four second-degree felony counts of securities fraud and one count of pattern of unlawful activity were dismissed.  The two men each face up to 10 years in prison when they are sentenced in 3rd District Court in September. 

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Michael Smith and his son Quintin Smith have each been charged with six counts of securities fraud and one count of pattern of unlawful activity, all second-degree felonies, in connection with a furniture loan company they owned called Newport Financial.  According to a Salt Lake Tribune article published today they have been accused of “bilking investors of hundreds of thousands of dollars — one while serving as counselor to an LDS stake presidency — in a fraudulent furniture-financing scheme that targeted, among others, a prominent University of Utah football coach.”

The indictment alleges that the Smiths promised a return of 18 percent to gain investments of at least $1.8 million from 18 victims.  Their biggest investor was Norm Chow, the offensive coordinator for the University of Utah’s football team, who invested $500,000. Continue reading →

Two Convictions in the Mathon Ponzi Scheme

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A long-running Arizona affinity-fraud case targeting members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints took an important step toward conclusion with the conviction last week of  Guy Andrew Williams and his father Brent F. Williams.  In 2009 the Williams were indicted on 40 counts of conspiracy, wire fraud, mail fraud and money laundering and last week they were convicted of 38 counts in an action stemming from crimes targeting wealthy Mormons in Arizona and neighboring states beginning in 2002. The verdict capped a two-week trial conducted by visiting U.S. District Judge Jack Zouhary.

According to a 2005 article in the Arizona Republic,  the investments offered by Mathon Management Co. founders Duane Slade and Guy Andrew Williams seemed like can’t-miss deals.  The young investment stars courted clients and enticed savvy investors across the West to part with tens of millions of dollars.

Investors were promised annual returns as high as 120 percent secured by assets and prime real estate everywhere from the industrial belly of Baltimore to the bright lights of the Las Vegas Strip.  Investors, many of whom belonged the LDS Church, told investigators that they had confidence in Slade and Williams because they were former Mormon missionaries would steadfastly guard their clients’ money. Continue reading →