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Schrenker to plead guilty to securities fraud

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A former money manager convicted of trying to fake his own death in a Florida plane crash has agreed to plead guilty to securities fraud charges in Indiana.

Marcus Schrenker could face 10 years in prison in exchange for pleading guilty to five of 11 counts under a proposed plea agreement with Hamilton County prosecutors. He also could be required to pay more than $600,000 in restitution.

Schrenker is accused of bilking friends, family members and other investors out of millions of dollars. More than $30 million in claims have been filed against him, but a court-ordered auction of the financier's property in June brought in far less. The sale of Schrenker's $1.2 million Geist home netted just $100,000.

A hearing on the deal is set for Sept. 15 in Hamilton Superior Court in the Indianapolis suburb of Noblesville. A judge still has to accept Schrenker's plea before the agreement can take effect.

Schrenker was sentenced last year to four years in federal prison for a January 2009 Florida plane crash in which he tried to fake his own death.

The only remaining dispute in the Indiana case is whether Schrenker should serve his sentence here at the same time as a four-year federal sentence out of Florida, said Jeff Wehmueller, administrative chief deputy prosecutor in Hamilton County.

"He wants it to run concurrently, and I think otherwise," Wehmueller said. "We believe there is a solid legal argument for consecutive."

The Associated Press left a phone message seeking comment from Schrenker's defense attorney.

Schrenker was arrested at a Florida campground in January 2009, two days after officials say he put his plane on autopilot and bailed out over Alabama to flee personal and financial problems. The plane crashed about 200 miles away.

He has claimed he was under psychiatric care and on medication for more than a year beforehand. He said he had been mentally incompetent due to stress and a prescription drug problem.

Under the agreement filed Aug. 10, Schrenker would agree to undergo psychiatric treatment as ordered by his probation officer and not to offer financial advice or work in financial management.

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  • Could be your neighbor
    I'm thinking Geist Reservoir should be renamed. How about Heist Reservoir? or maybe Shyster Reservoir?
  • What about Tim Durham and Jim Cochran?
    Marcus is a nobody and everyone wants to yap about what a big bad wolf he is. What about the real crooks Tim Durham and Jim Cochran, who fleeced elderly Ohioans out of zillions of dollars, why are they not in jail?

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  1. If a television station wants to improve viewership, get rid of the local blackout. I was born by the brickyard, and have attended 15 or more races. I have children now, I won't attend unless circumstances are perfect. As those with growing families know, they never are. I'm always impressed that upwards of 250,000 people attend the 500. However, as a growing, or, more apt, sprawling city, Indianapolis and its immediate suburbs count almost 2.2 million. Show the race live, let the venue get a kick-back on revenues, and open-wheel racing might have a fighting chance to be relevant again. Just in time for those tax-payer lights to make sense.

  2. John Moore, I too have had the same issue recently. A property next to my house was on the Land Bank and I was interested in purchasing. When I tried to contact Reggie, I got back emails that had nothing to do with what I asked about. Actually my latest response from him was on this past Friday. I had asked about how to buy the property and if it was still available. His response to me was to contact the mayor's office to get the schedule of his appearances. (???) Hopefully the city is able to do something to fix what this guy has done, it would be nice if they would take the properties back and sell them properly so land owners like me and you mother would have a fair chance.

  3. I too work in the industry, with over 25 years of experience and your political spin has probably nothing to do with any rebranding. "Let's dress it up" would have nothing to do with the government "telling us how and what to eat." Give it a political rest. And being a producer for a radio show doesn't mean you've been involved in advertising and branding for 30 years.

  4. Ms. Morris did not understand the ways of the business world, otherwise, like the IMS, she could have petitioned the State Legislature for a handout of State Funds for her charity work. Ms. Morris should consider becoming a state lobbyist for Lemonade Stand Operators.

  5. David Copperfield!

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