Major 'MLM' crook, Mark Shurtleff, arrested.

It might be difficult for many readers to believe that the swaggering, narcissistic clown in the above video was once the Chief Legal Officer of one of the United States of America. That said, for a long time, one of the main sources (if not the main source) of revenue in the State in question, has been organized crime.

When Mark Leonard Shurtleff (b. 1957) was Attorney General of Utah, he was on the take from the 'MLM Income Opportunity' crime syndicate; particularly, the gang of racketeers behind 'USANA.' In the above video from 2007, Shurtleff can be seen not only enthusiastically committing wire fraud on behalf of the 'USANA' racketeers, but also obstructing justice by telling victims that if they try to file complaints with the Utah AG's office, they will be ignored. To cover his back, in the same video, Shurtleff admitted that many so-called 'MLM schemes' have turned out to be frauds. Shurtleff insisted that 'MLM schemes' are legal in Utah, but he failed to disclose that various de facto agents of 'MLM income opportunity' racketeers had a corrupt hand in writing an amendment to Utah State legislation, exempting so-called 'MLM schemes' from common-sense statutes which previously banned all endless-chain, pyramid frauds.  It almost goes without saying that Mark Shurtleff was paid (with stolen money) to support this amendment (SB 182). 

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http://kutv.com/news/top-stories/stories/2news-exclusive-video-former-attorney-general-mark-shurtleffs-arrest-12591.shtml

http://www.good4utah.com/story/documents-link-former-utah-attorney-general-mark-s/d/story/KjJz7xWWCkij47jPCfjFWw

http://www.heraldextra.com/mark-shurtleff-charging-documents/pdf_8685c5a4-52dc-5e85-ab54-3891c30e0fe2.html

SALT LAKE CITY July 15th 2014 -- After investigating for more than a year, authorities on Tuesday arrested two former Utah attorneys general on charges of bribery, misusing public funds and other counts. Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill on Tuesday laid out allegations against John Swallow and Mark Shurtleff that involve gold coins, luxury houseboats and jets and thousands of dollars in cash or campaign contributions. Swallow and Shurtleff, both Republicans, have denied wrongdoing and the accusations against them.

Here's some highlights of the allegations:

LUXURY GIFTS

Authorities said both Swallow and Shurtleff used a luxury jet and personal property belonging to a businessman indicted on federal fraud charges. Swallow also used the businessman's million-dollar houseboat on Lake Powell.

In another case from 2008, Shurtleff negotiated a plea deal for a Utah businessman facing fraud charges that was so lenient a judge wouldn't accept it. After a more stringent deal was reached and the businessman was on probation, he put up Shurtleff and Swallow at a high-end Newport Beach resort and bought them meals, rounds of golf, clothing and massages, prosecutors said.

When Swallow left his job at a Utah payday loan company to join the attorney general's office, his employer gave him 12 one-ounce gold coins, court documents said. While he was a chief deputy in the attorney general's office, Swallow sold back the coins one or two at a time to the same former employer, receiving $17,000 in all, which is more than they are worth, Gill said.

INFLUENCE PEDDLING

In 2012, the attorney general's office intervened in a lawsuit against a Bank of America subsidiary on behalf of thousands of Utah residents facing foreclosure. The Salt Lake City-area couple that brought the suit then spent $28,000 holding a campaign fundraising party for Swallow. The couple's individual case was settled favorably, but Shurtleff in December directed the attorney general's office drop the state case, despite objections from staff attorneys. Prosecutors said a division chief in the Utah attorney general's office reported Swallow indicated to Bank of America that Utah would drop the case if the couple's case was settled favorably. Shurtleff later accepted a position with a Washington, D.C., law firm that represented Bank of America.

PAY TO PLAY

Both former attorneys general are accused of taking at least $50,000 in cash or campaign contributions from people who came under scrutiny from their office. One businessman claimed that in 2009, Shurtleff had offered him $2 million if he stopped trying to find a suspected swindler. In 2010, a St. George businessman's online company came under federal investigation. Authorities said he asked Swallow to secure a meeting with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada. Swallow responded by saying he has a liaison to Reid but it "won't be cheap," court documents state. The businessman later paid $250,000 to the liaison, who in turn paid Swallow more than $23,000. The businessman, who now faces dozens of federal fraud charges, claims the plot was to bribe Reid to throw off investigators. Reid and Swallow have denied that. Swallow said he was connecting the businessman with lobbyists and the $23,000 was for separate consulting work. Reid has not been implicated in the investigation.

COVER UPS

In May 2013, Shurtleff lied to FBI investigators about practices in the attorney general's office, campaign donations, gifts and bribes, charging documents state. During subsequent state investigations, both Swallow and Shurtleff gave false information to investigators, Gill said. Swallow is also accused of destroying evidence and falsifying invoices and other documents to cover up his conflicts of interest.

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http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/politics/58187649-90/shurtleff-gill-swallow-attorney.html.csp

Mark Shurtleff's arrogant, reality-inverting reaction to his recent arrest, can only be described as pathetic.

David Brear (copyright 2014)

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/07/15/4237959/charges-detailed-for-utah-ex-attorney.html#storylink=cpy