Rick D. Van Vleet, 63, of Fort Collins, Colorado, pleaded guilty to one count of investment fraud today. Van Vleet allegedly raised millions of dollars to finance resorts, a music venture and other enterprises. He was specifically charged with pocketing nearly $3 million in investor funds he raised to develop retail kiosks for downloading MP3s called TouchStand kiosks. Prosecutors described the fraud as a classic Ponzi scheme, promising high returns to investors. He was originally indicted on five counts of securities fraud and two counts of theft of more than $15,000. Van Vleet filed for bankruptcy in 2006. He faces 12 years in prison at sentencing, which is scheduled for February 24, 2008.
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Did this scammer ever pay anyone he was court ordered to pay?
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