By Jessica Miller | Salt Lake Tribune
It’s been 10 years since federal prosecutors first slapped prominent Utah real estate investment guru Rick Koerber with an indictment alleging he ran a Ponzi scheme and defrauded everyone around him while he enjoyed a lavish lifestyle.
And after a tortuous path of dropped charges, a hung jury and finally a conviction last fall, it was all supposed to end this week as Koerber would be sentenced for fraud, wire fraud and money laundering.
But it’s not ending.
The sentencing for Koerber is being delayed a third time since the Utah County real estate investor was found guilty of 15 charges last September. And the number of victims and amount of money scammed is now in dispute.
Federal prosecutors say victims number in the hundreds and their losses add up to more than $45 million as Koerber for years preyed on people who trusted him because of their mutual belief in Utah’s predominant faith.
But Koerber’s defense attorney says those numbers are exaggerated. She’s asking a judge for one last evidence hearing to hash out the conflict.
