Rogersville man sentenced for $1M fraud scheme

A Rogersville man was sentenced to prison in a multifaceted case that involved a nearly $1 million fraud scheme.

Roy Harris Jr., 57, is headed to federal prison for 30 years, the bulk of which is 20 years for child exploitation offenses, according to a news release from the office of Teresa Moore, U.S. attorney for the Western District of Missouri. Harris was ordered to five years apiece for the wire fraud scheme and firearms offenses.

Through the investment fraud scheme, Harris bilked victims of at least $921,250, according to prosecutors. Some of that money has been paid back for the scheme that took place between June 2014 and May 2017.

As the owner of Orthogistic LLC, Amniogistic LLC and Amniogistic Inc., Harris solicited investments by making false representations, according to the release. He failed to tell investors that he had been convicted in 2002 of the felony crimes of fraud in the sale of a security, deceptive business practices and stealing, and he used some of the funds from investors for other purposes and for his personal benefit.

After he pleaded guilty to wire fraud, Harris was in possession of 19 firearms, a crime because he was convicted of a previous felony, officials said. While investigating the firearms offenses, law enforcement officers searched two iPhones belong to Harris and found images and videos of child pornography, according to Moore's office. In at least one case, he solicited to engage in sexual activity with a victim under the age of 15.

While he awaited trial for his firearms and sexual exploitation charges, Harris solicited at least one individual to murder several witnesses to the firearms charges, according to the release.

As part of his conviction, Harris was ordered to pay $809,260 in restitution to the victims of his wire fraud scheme and $5,000 to the victim of his child sexual exploitation and child pornography crimes, officials said.