Rogers Man Appears in Court on Fraud and Money Laundering Charges

FAYETTEVILLE, AR—Conner Eldridge, United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, announced that James W. Bolt appeared yesterday in United States Magistrate Court for his initial appearance before United States Magistrate Judge Erin L. Setser. A complaint was filed against Bolt on August 29, 2013, charging him with six counts of mail fraud, four counts of wire fraud, and two counts of money laundering. Bolt was arrested on August 30, 2013.

According to the affidavit filed with the criminal complaint, beginning on or about October 10, 2010, Bolt committed mail and wire fraud by preparing and sending fraudulent documents containing forged signatures and false authentication features to various entities and individual persons in order to persuade them to send him unclaimed property and assets from defunct companies. He then allegedly took the money from these transactions and used them for his own personal expenses, to purchase vehicles and airplanes, and to pay off debts.

A detention hearing is scheduled for September 4, 2013, before United States Magistrate Judge Erin L. Setser, in Fayetteville.

This case is being investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Glen Hines is prosecuting the case for the United States.

A federal complaint is a written statement of the essential facts of the offenses charged and must be made under oath before a magistrate judge. The charges in the complaint are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless or until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.