A 36-year-old Park Rapids man and licensed real estate agent has been indicted on wire fraud, money laundering and marijuana charges by a federal grand jury.
Eric Wayne Moen was charged Aug. 18 and appeared in U.S. District Court Aug. 21 on the charges.
The indictment alleges Moen conspired with others from Aug. 1 through Nov. 28, 2005, to misrepresent the employment status of a borrower and obtain funds in connection with the mortgage on the home. One-hundred marijuana plants were found growing at the home, the indictment states, and Moen is charged with being involved in the pot operation. The indictment alleges Moen wire transferred more than $640,000 from a mortgage company to a title company for the home and that Moen pocketed more than $15,000 "knowing that money was derived from the wire fraud."
A co-defendant, Kevin Ray Winkelmann, 39, of Shorewood, pled guilty one year ago to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud for his role in the mortgage fraud scheme.
For more information on the story, see Wednesday's edition of the Park Rapids Enterprise.
