Man accused of misleading investors in Boy Scout video scam


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SALT LAKE CITY — Federal authorities in Utah have arrested a California businessman accused of bilking investors in his video production company out of $1.25 million.

FBI agent Todd Palmer with the bureau's Salt Lake field office confirmed that Kelly John Garrett was arrested Tuesday. Palmer said he was unable to provide any details about the arrest.

A federal grand jury in Riverside, California, indicted Garrett in late September on 21 counts of wire fraud. Garrett, 51, lied to investors when he told them his company, GET Entertainment, had a contract with the Boy Scouts of America to produce videos about the organization's 137 merit badges, according to the six-page indictment.

"The Boy Scouts of America had not approved any of (Garrett's) video productions," the indictment states.

Investors were told Wal-Mart had agreed to distribute the videos once they were produced, the indictment states. They were also told that Garrett had helped produce LDS-themed feature films like "Sons of Provo," "The RM," "The Home Teachers" and "Church Ball."

But investigators said none of that was true. The money Garrett received from investors in the video project was used for his personal expenses, they said.

The federal charges in California come as Garrett continues to fight felony charges in two Utah counties. In 2006, prosecutors in Wayne County charged him with 13 counts of communications fraud, a second-degree felony. Then, last October, Carbon County prosecutors filed four counts of communications fraud and theft by deception, all second-degree felonies.

Kelly John Garrett. (Photo: Geoff Liesik, Carbon County Sheriff's Office)
Kelly John Garrett. (Photo: Geoff Liesik, Carbon County Sheriff's Office)

In the Wayne County case, an Arizona couple claims Garrett persuaded them to hand over their California home to him in exchange for a deed to a lot in a nonexistent Utah subdivision. A pretrial conference in the case is scheduled for Jan. 26.

Prosecutors in Carbon County filed their case against Garrett based on allegations that he leased grazing rights to cattle owners for land that he didn't own.

One Carbon County rancher discovered the alleged deceit when she attempted to turn a truckload of registered cattle loose on pasture land in Wayne County and the property owner showed up to inform her that her lease was bogus, according to Price police.

Investigators say Garrett drew people to his Nature's Hay website by advertising it on KSL.com. Garrett used the website to sell more hay than he could produce, and the land he offered to lease for use as winter range belongs to a relative, charging documents show. An arraignment in the case is set for Nov. 24.

Garrett remained in federal custody Wednesday. A date for his first court appearance on the wire fraud charges is pending.

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