ST. GEORGE, Utah — A Kanab man has been sentenced to 78 months in federal prison for his involvement in a scam that targeted the elderly.
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Kurt Bauer, 57, pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud and falsely impersonating U.S. government employees. He was also ordered to pay over $850,000 in restitution to his victims.
The Department of Justice said Bauer would tell victims he was entitled to millions of dollars which were "frozen in federal court proceedings." Bauer would ask victims to pay him up front so he could pay court fees to obtain the money, and after doing so, he would give them large returns on their investment.
As part of the scheme, Bauer would tell people he was a New York attorney or a federal court employee. He would then target victims to gain access to their money on a regular basis, the DOJ says.
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Bauer also impersonated federal judges and a federal court administrator during the scam.
Two of Bauer's victims from which he received at least $200,000 were 80 and 82 years old.
Instead of returning the money of his victims, Bauer spent the money on credit card payments, hotel bills, restaurants, and other personal expenses.
