Kouri Richins' mortgage fraud case to resume in October

PARK CITY — Kouri Richins made a very brief appearance via Web X from the Utah State Prison in 3rd District Court on Friday.

On Wednesday, Richins' request to have her trial judge, Richard Mrazik, disqualified and for her to be granted a new trial, was denied. Friday, Judge Mrazik briefly met with attorneys from both sides to map out a schedule for moving forward now that he is once again presiding over Richins' cases. Richins appeared on video from the prison.

Richins, 36, was convicted in March of killing her husband, 39-year-old Eric Richins, on March 4, 2022. She was sentenced in May to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

On June 30, Richins filed a motion asking that her conviction be vacated because she alleged Mrazik "was impatient, critical, hostile, disparaging and condescending toward defense counsel, and in contrast was friendly and helpful to the prosecution" during her trial. This week, 3rd District Judge Kara Pettit denied the motion.

Richins was also charged in June 2025 in Summit County's 3rd District Court with five counts of mortgage fraud, seven counts of money laundering, one count of communications fraud and one count of engaging in a pattern of unlawful activity, all second-degree felonies; plus five counts of forgery and seven counts of issuing a bad check, third-degree felonies.

In that case, prosecutors allege in charging documents that in the months prior to Eric Richins' death, K. Richins Reality was in debt, and that "By the end of 2021, (Kouri Richins) stood on the precipice of total financial collapse."

"Despite K. Richins Realty's existing debt and insufficient revenue, (Kouri Richins) continued to use hard money loans to purchase three additional properties in November 2021. When (she) closed on the three properties on Nov. 30, 2021, she added $1.1 million in high-interest debt to her already staggering and unserviceable debt load," the charges continue.

Charging documents also allege that on Dec. 23, 2021, Richins contracted to purchase an unfinished mansion in Midway "using $2.9 million in high-interest debt due in six months, even though she lacked the financial ability to service the additional debt, refinance the debt, rehabilitate the property, or otherwise dispose of the property."

On Friday, Mrazik set the next court hearing for that case for Oct. 9.

A restitution hearing originally scheduled for Friday in connection with Richins' murder conviction was continued until Aug. 28.

Last week, prosecutors filed a motion stating that they are seeking more than $1.3 million in restitution. The figure is based on the life insurance money Richins collected following her husband's death.

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