Appeals Court Rejects Man Convicted of Wind Farm Scam

The Denver federal appeals court has ruled against a Salt Lake City man convicted of bilking investors out of more than $4 million in a phony wind farm business. The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals turned down the appeal of Robert Reed of who is serving a 12-year sentence in Texas after pleading guilty in 2013 to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and conspiracy to launder money.

He and his sister, Lauren Elizabeth Scott of Morgan, Utah were convicted and sentenced and she is doing five years in prison. Her appeal was turned down just last week.

Prosecutors say investors from across the U.S. lost $4.4 million after putting their money in what they were told were wind farm projects in Wyoming and South Dakota. But there were no such wind farms as promoted by the brother and sister.

Reed and Scott bought land in the two states and put up signs and took pictures of contractors they hired to do some dirt work at the supposed sites. Reed has filed other appeals on his conviction as well as a federal lawsuit against the Wyoming federal judge who sentenced him, accusing the judge of fraud and misappropriating millions by seizing cash, real estate and assets from him.