California man using an underwater scooter on lake to try to evade arrest lawsuit on charges of fraud

A SACRAMANDO, Calif. (AP) – A California man attempted to evade arrests to escape a lake, an underwater scooter pleaded guilty Thursday to fraud, money laundering and witnesses linked to a $35 million investment fraud scheme.

Prosecutors said between 2015 and 2020, Matthew Piercey, 48, of Shasta County, solicited investor funds and used the money for various personal and commercial expenses, including the purchase of two residential properties.

He also gave investors about $8.8. A statement issued by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of California showed millions of the $35 million investment.

When proxying Try to arrest him In November 2020, Piercey led them to chase after in a car, then abandoned his vehicle and fled to the icy lake Shasta, which was later identified as the Yamaha 350li underwater diving device.

“Pilsey spent some time invisible underwater,” the federal prosecutor wrote in court documents.

About 20 minutes later, he came out of the lake and was arrested. The underwater unit is a sea scooter or pulls the user out of the underwater electric device at about 4 mph (6.4 kph).

According to a statement from the Justice Department, Piercey tried to dissuade investors and witnesses from responding to a grand jury subpoena and used a coded communication from the prison to direct two people to dispose of the U-Haul locker he rented after being arrested.

The FBI search for lockers resulted in wigs and CHF 31,000, which was about $37,000.

Piercey faces the highest penalty for every wire fraud, mail fraud, witness tampering and money laundering. His sentence was decided on September 4.