Former Utah County commissioner sentenced to probation versus incarceration in fraud scheme

Criminal defense attorneys Nathan A. Crane and Richard Van Wagoner represented former Utah County commissioner Gary Anderson who avoided incarceration, and was instead sentenced to five years probation and $162,606 in restitution.  Anderson was involved in a scam with another businessman posing as Mormon officials fooling companies into believing their investments were being used to set up a rail line and industrial park on land owned by the LDS Church.

Anderson pleaded guilty to communications fraud, a second-degree felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison, and three other second-degree felony charges which were all dismissed as part of the plea agreement.  Anderson avoided incarceration as part of the agreement, so long as he was able to come up with a chunk of the total restitution by his sentencing date, which he did.  Prosecutors recommended no jail time if he came up with $25,000 of the restitution.