KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - A federal grand jury has indicted eight more people for their roles in a $7.2 million securities fraud conspiracy involving a Kansas City company.
Federal prosecutors in Kansas City said in a release that the eight new defendants and four earlier defendants were charged Wednesday in a 20-count indictment that accuses them of promoting Petro America to potential investors, despite cease and desist orders from both Missouri and Kansas.
The new indictment replaced a 2010 federal indictment that charged four original defendants. The new indictment adds additional charges and alleges that the 12 defendants tried to create the appearance that Petro America had assets worth about $284 billion, when it did not.
Prosecutors said about 12,000 victims invested more than $7.2 million in Petro America.