Two Former Lexington Business Owners Sentenced for Wire Fraud and Money Laundering Charges

LEXINGTON, Ky.- Two former Lexington business owners, Douglas William Vance, 54, and Molly McKinnon, 59, were sentenced on Monday, by Chief U.S. District Judge Danny Reeves, to 174 months and 156 months, respectively, for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, multiple counts of wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

According to evidence at trial, from August 2016 through December 2018, Vance and McKinnon used falsified bank statements, financial reports, purchase orders, sales and production figures, and other fabricated records, to convince different investors that each owned a controlling stake in a company called “Nex-Gen.”  The company purported to produce “calcined coal” and other carbon-based products, in Chavies, Kentucky.  The false and fabricated documents also convinced two companies to lend money to Nex-Gen, and concealed the fact that Vance and McKinnon were misappropriating both investor and lender funds.  The evidence presented at trial established that Vance and McKinnon worked together to defraud multiple investors and lenders, out of more than $2 million.

Vance and McKinnon were convicted of the charges in October 2022.

Under federal law, Vance and McKinnon must serve 85 percent of their prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, they will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years.

Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Brian Jones, Acting Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office, jointly announced the sentencing.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI.  The United States was represented in the case by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gregory Rosenberg and James Chapman.

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