The indictment charges two separate-but-related frauds: first, a scheme to defraud investors in a Wyoming natural-gas production venture; second, a conspiracy to pump and dump the common stock of NuTech Energy Resources Inc. The charges in the indictment are only allegations; therefore, the defendants are innocent until proven guilty.
Regarding the scheme to defraud investors, Defendant Bob Mitchell is charged in counts 1-12 with wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343, securities fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1348(1), and mail fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1341. As alleged in the indictment, Defendant Mitchell solicited investments he claimed would be used to create a publicly-traded, natural-gas production company in Wyoming. According to Mitchell, victim-investors would receive shares in this company that the investors could then sell on the public securities market. Instead of developing any company or safeguarding the investors’ money as promised, Mitchell used the money to pay his personal expenses and to acquire (through various false statements) free-trading shares in the company. Mitchell then sold these free-trading shares to enrich himself and related individuals – but not the victim-investors. Most victims of this scheme sent money directly to Mitchell or his company Bravo Two Zero Partners.
Regarding the pump-and-dump conspiracy, Defendants Mitchell, Justin Herman, Chuck Winters, and Ian Horn are charged in counts 13-15 with conspiracy in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371, securities fraud in violation of 15 U.S.C. § 78j(b), and wire fraud conspiracy in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1349. As alleged in the indictment, the defendants took control of a publicly-traded company called EcoEmissions Solutions Inc. and changed its name to NuTech Energy Resources Inc. (NuTech). The defendants then used false statements and altered documents to acquire free-trading shares of NuTech. The defendants artificially inflated the price of NuTech shares by manipulative trading and by releasing to the public false and misleading information about NuTech’s business prospects. The defendants then sold their fraudulently-obtained free-trading shares to unwitting investors. Most victims of this pump-and-dump conspiracy purchased stock in NuTech (stock symbol NERG) between January 2015 and May 2016.
Finally, Defendants Herman and Winters are charged with aggravated identity theft in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1028A, because they allegedly possessed and used forged signatures to further the NuTech pump-and-dump conspiracy. These crimes are charged in counts 16-19. To the government’s knowledge, no one who purchased NuTech stock on the public market in 2015 or 2016 has been the victim of identity theft.