Missouri Secretary of State Jason Kander has ordered Lucas Wayne Branstetter of Kingdom City to stop doing business after he defrauded a senior investor he had befriended of at least $81,000 as part of a settlement collection scam.
According to Kander's office, Branstetter was hired in 2009 to paint the interior of a home owned by a 64-year-old resident.
While painting the home, Branstetter allegedly befriended the resident, ultimately using their friendship to live in the house and convince the owner to give him money to pay child support and other personal expenses.
Authorities said Branstetter told the victim about legal settlements he claimed he was going to receive, and he needed funds to pay for fees associated with the settlements. Branstetter claimed he would be receiving more than $500,000 from settlements, which he promised the resident he would use as repayment for funds he'd been provided plus an additional 5-24 percent in interest. Over time, the resident provided at least $81,000 to Branstetter, a portion of which was used to make trips to multiple states under the assumption he would be collecting the settlements.
According to the order, the resident has never received a repayment from Branstetter and discovered Branstetter had stolen and forged additional checks. Branstetter pleaded guilty to forgery in 2011 and later pleaded guilty to robbery of a postal employee in a separate matter in 2014.