Mark Roy Anderson Has Been Accused of Defrauding Investors
A federal grand jury has handed down a five-count indictment against Mark Roy Anderson, a 68-year-old Beverly Hills resident who had recently completed a prison sentence for a prior federal fraud case. The indictment accuses Anderson of soliciting over $9 million from investors through false claims of investing in a non-existent hemp farm.
Anderson, who was on supervised release following a 135-month prison term, now faces five counts of wire fraud. The indictment alleges that he deceived investors into providing funds for his company, Harvest Farm Group, under the pretense of cultivating and processing hemp on his farm. The funds were purported to be used for the production of medical-grade CBD isolate, which would then be sold for significant profits.
Special agents from the FBI apprehended Anderson on May 9, subsequent to the filing of a criminal complaint by prosecutors. The complaint outlined a series of fraudulent actions and false statements made by Anderson during the scheme, which spanned from June 2020 to April 2021.
According to the indictment, Anderson falsely represented that Harvest Farm Group owned and operated a hemp farm in Kern County, California. He claimed to have successfully harvested hemp in profitable ventures. He used his own machinery and equipment to process it into CBD isolate and Delta 8, a psychoactive substance used in various consumer products. However, the indictment asserts that none of these claims were true.
In an attempt to appear trustworthy, Anderson allegedly took measures to conceal his prior convictions and portray Harvest Farm Group as a legitimate entity. He allegedly withheld information about his multiple federal and state felony convictions, including charges of mail fraud, wire fraud, grand theft, forgery, preparing false evidence, and money laundering. Additionally, Anderson concealed the fact that he was still serving a criminal sentence and under supervised release while soliciting investments.
Investigation into the case revealed that Anderson misused investor funds for personal expenses. This included the purchase of luxury and vintage vehicles worth over $650,000, cash withdrawals exceeding $400,000, retail purchases amounting to more than $142,000, and various personal expenses. Notably, over $1.3 million was spent on the acquisition of a residence and adjacent citrus groves in Ojai. Anderson, who is currently being held without bond, is scheduled to be arraigned on the indictment in the United States District Court on May 30. Each count of wire fraud carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
The FBI is leading the investigation into this case, while Assistant United States Attorney Kerry L. Quinn of the Major Frauds Section will be prosecuting the matter. An indictment contains allegations that a defendant committed a crime. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
