Click for printable version
Click to send to a friend

Friday, September 06, 2002
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Fraud indictment names Las Vegas couple

A Las Vegas couple has been indicted on fraud and money laundering charges in connection with a marketing scam that caused about 50,000 people to lose more than $30 million.

Donald Mikrut and his wife, Sue Ann, were indicted Aug. 13 by a federal grand jury in Las Vegas. The 19-count indictment was unsealed Wednesday.

According to the indictment, Donald Mikrut owned and operated American Business Publications, a publishing and marketing corporation. His wife was at various times an editor, executive assistant, vice president and general manager of the company.

The indictment claims Donald Mikrut, 54, began the scheme to defraud his customers around November 1995. It claims he and Sue Ann Mikrut, 56, later conspired to continue the scheme.

The document says Donald Mikrut used American Business Publications to promote two multi-level marketing firms: Financial Independence Network Limited and Secure Independence/Partners For Life.

He solicited people to join Financial Independence through a book he wrote and published called How to Make America Strong & Wealthy One Person at a Time, according to the indictment.

The document alleges that Donald Mikrut induced people to join American Business Publications and Financial Independence by making false representations and promises and by omitting facts.

Natalie Collins, a spokeswoman with the U.S. attorney's office in Nevada, said the couple appeared in court Wednesday. They were released on their own recognizance.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.