DOJ: Founders of Hawaii company scammed investors out of millions to pay for lavish lifestyle
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - A married couple has been charged in a decade-long scheme to defraud investors of tens of millions of dollars in connection with their Hawaii shipbuilding company called Semisub Inc.
The U.S. Department of Justice said 69-year-old Curtiss E. Jackson, of Honolulu, and 59-year-old Jamey Denise Jackson, currently of Florida and formerly of Honolulu, scammed over 400 investors out of more than $28 million.
The couple is accused of promising for more than 10 years that their “Semisub One” prototype was “weeks” or “months” away from operating and also falsely claiming that Semisub entered into agreements or developed relationships to build and sell a fleet of additional vessels for $32 million each.
Instead, the couple allegedly spent a substantial amount of money raised from the sale of securities on luxury homes in California and Hawaii, luxury vacations, a Mercedes-Benz, marijuana, and psychics — among many other things.
The pair also defied orders from Pennsylvania and California, banning them from selling securities in those states.
They’re charged with securities fraud, mail fraud, wire fraud and conspiracy.
They face 80 years in prison.
Curtiss Jackson made his initial court appearance Monday in U.S. District Court in Hawaii.
Jamey Denise Jackson made her first court appearance Monday in Connecticut.
This story will be updated.
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