Jason Lawrence Geiger, 47, who played the Red Rangerunder the stage name Austin St John, and 17 others were charged with fraud thisweek in a Texas federal court over what prosecutors described as a conspiracyto illicitly obtain $3.5 million in loans from the program.
Geiger and the others he is said to have worked incoordination with used a mix of genuine and sham businesses to obtain loansfrom the relief program, prosecutors said. According to court filings, theyfabricated documents and made false claims about sales and payroll to obtaininflated loans, then spent the cash on jewellery, precious metals and cars.
Geiger received a loan of $225,754 in June 2020 forhis company St John Enterprises, which sells Power Rangers memorabilia, such as$60 autographed photos and $100 personalised video messages. Instead of usingthe money to pay workers — the relief programme’s intended purpose — Geigerfunnelled most of the money to two of his co-defendants, prosecutors said incourt filings.
Geiger was arraigned Wednesday on a single charge,conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The charge carries a penalty of up to 20 yearsin prison.
“Mr. Geiger intends to vigorously defend himselfagainst this allegation,” David Klaudt, Geiger’s lawyer, said in a writtenstatement.
A statement posted Friday on Geiger’s Facebook page byZachery McGinnis of Galactic Productions, an event booking service for actors,cast Geiger as a victim of his business partners.
“The indictment detailed today is populated by amultitude of individuals — the majority of which Austin has no knowledge of,and has never met or interacted with,” McGinnis wrote. “It is our understandingthat Austin put his faith, reputation and finances in the hands of thirdparties whose goals were self-centered and ultimately manipulated and betrayedhis trust.”
Geiger fought intergalactic evil on the original “PowerRangers” series that debuted in 1993 and played the Gold Ranger on a lateriteration, “Power Rangers Zeo.” He spent 16 years as a paramedic beforeretiring in 2014, according to a biography posted on St. John Enterprises’website.
The hurriedly created Paycheck Protection Programdeliberately did away with many of the checks and safeguards that normallyaccompany business loans — creating an opportunity for some unusually brazenthievery. The Justice Department has charged hundreds of people with fraudulentlytaking billions of dollars from it and other pandemic relief programs.
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