John Schroyer
A married couple from a small town in the far interior of Alaska has been charged with wire fraud in connection with a sham marijuana tourism business that they never intended to launch, federal prosecutors said in a recently unsealed indictment.
The pair allegedly bilked 22 investors out of $722,000.
Brian and Candy Corty from Delta Junction, Alaska, were indicted by a federal grand jury in April, the Anchorage Daily News reported, after selling a fraudulent “bud and breakfast” investment pitch with their company Ice Fog.
The two told investors they intended to set up a tourism operation in Alaska described as a “marijuana theme park,” at which visitors could purchase and consume cannabis while watching the northern lights through glass ceilings in their bedrooms, the news outlet reported. The pair told investors they had already gained the necessary state permits for the operation, and lied to investors as time went on about the progress of the facility.
In the meantime, the pair used the money they raised for “personal expenses,” and although they purchased real estate near their home of Delta Junction, they never made any real headway on standing up the tourist attraction.
According the the indictment, the two knew they had “little to no prospect” of obtaining necessary state permits for the venture.
The Cortys were also charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. They were indicted on April 18 and have a scheduled court appearance Monday.
