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Sean D. Reyes
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Alan Dean McKee Sentenced to Up to 15 Years in LDS Church Impersonation Case

SALT LAKE CITY December 9, 2016  – The Utah Attorney General’s Office Mortgage and Financial Fraud Unit announces the sentencing of Alan Dean McKee, 57, of Benjamin, Utah, to 1 to 15 years in the Utah State Prison. McKee had previously entered a guilty plea to two Second Degree Felonies for his role in hatching various fraudulent schemes netting him approximately $1.2 million. McKee’s case was investigated and prosecuted by the Utah Attorney General’s Office Investigations Division in cooperation with the Utah County Attorney’s Office. A companion case against McKee’s alleged co-defendant Gary Anderson is still pending.

“The Utah Attorney General’s Office will continue to fight white collar crime as one of its top priorities,” said Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes. “As the year comes to a close and we look forward to 2017, I want to commend the investigators, paralegals, attorneys and staff in our office and among our many law enforcement partners who work tirelessly to stop scams and shut down fraudsters.

“From within our office, I would like to highlight, the hard work by Che Arguello, Assistant Attorney General and Division Director of White Collar and Commercial Enforcement, and Brian Williams, Mortgage and Financial Fraud Unit Section Director, and their entire team for their success in building this case, as well as Tyson Downey, Investigator for the Utah Attorney General’s Office. These are very time intensive, difficult cases that require specialized expertise to investigate and prosecute. We are fortunate to have such excellent public servants working for the people of Utah.”

One of the McKee schemes involved telling representatives from Ames Construction that he was facilitating a project involving the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, netting McKee over $300,000. McKee also defrauded two other individuals out of almost $900,000 in separate schemes involving the purchase of farm equipment. After charges were initially filed against McKee in February 2016, the Utah Attorney General’s Office discovered McKee was also involved in another fraudulent scheme. McKee had claimed to own a stretch of railroad track in Utah County and then sold the rights to remove the track for $130,000. It was later discovered the track belonged to Union Pacific Railroad, causing them approximately $175,000 in losses.

McKee was sentenced by Judge Vernice Trease of the Utah Third District Court for Salt Lake County. Judge Trease noted the complexity of the crime, the size of the loss, and the number of victims as factors she considered before ordering imprisonment. In addition to the term of incarceration, McKee was ordered to pay full restitution to all victims.

The investigation was assisted by Tyson Downey from the Investigations Division and Richard Hales from the Utah County Attorney’s Office Investigation’s Division.

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Attorney General Files Fraud Charges In Connection With Scam Impersonating LDS Church Officials

SALT LAKE CITY Feb. 22, 2016 – The Utah Attorney General’s Mortgage and Fraud Unit has filed charges against Gary Anderson of Springville and Alan McKee of Benjamin. The Affidavit of Probable Cause and Criminal Information lists three counts of Communications Fraud and one count of a Pattern of Unlawful Activity, all Second Degree Felonies.

According to the charging documents, Anderson and McKee are accused of defrauding Ames Construction and two individuals out of approximately $1.2 million between July 2013 and October 2015. McKee is alleged to have sent letters to Ames Construction purporting to come from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (“LDS Church”) in connection with the construction of a building site in Elberta, Utah. Anderson is alleged to have assisted by making at least one phone call posing as an LDS Church official to an Ames Construction employee. McKee and Anderson are also alleged to have induced two victims to invest in a scheme to purchase excess farm equipment.

“I’ve made stopping white collar crime one of the highest priorities in the Utah Attorney General’s Office,” said Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes. “Our investigators, paralegals, attorneys and staff work tirelessly to stop scams and shut down fraudsters.

“I appreciate the hard work by Che Arguello, Assistant Attorney General and Division Director of White Collar and Commercial Enforcement, and Brian Williams, Mortgage and Financial Fraud Unit Section Director, and their team for their hard work to build this case.”

The investigation was assisted by Tyson Downey from the Investigations Division and Richard Hales from the Utah County Attorney’s Office Investigation’s Division.

The Affidavit of Probable Cause and Criminal Information are merely charging documents, every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law.

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