West Virginia real estate developer sentenced to five years for fraud

A Wheeling real estate developer was sentenced to five years in federal prison today after swindling millions of dollars from investors.

United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced that Jeffrey James Morris, age 37, received a 60-month sentence because of his scheme to defraud investors out of more than $5 million dollars.

Morris, managing member of Roxby Development, LLC, secured local and national funding to develop real estate in Wheeling, West Virginia.

According to statements made in court, he acquired the Scottish Rite Cathedral, the McClure House Hotel, and the Mount Carmel Monastery.

In soliciting funds from investors to improve those properties, Morris misrepresented how the money would be used, provided forged documents, lied about the prospects of securing tax increment financing, and falsely claimed to be on the verge of securing bank financing to repay investors. He made Ponzi-style payments, using one investor’s money to pay another instead of making improvements to real estate as promised. Morris also lied to investors about having received approval for historic tax credits.

“Jeffrey Morris preyed upon his investors, his employees, and upon the hope of Wheeling residents who believed that he was leading a downtown renaissance,” said U.S. Attorney William Ihlenfeld. “Morris was a master manipulator who left a trail of broken promises in his wake.”

U.S. District Court Judge John Preston Bailey presided and made a finding that Morris caused undue financial hardship to several investors, including a retired couple who invested their entire savings with him but did not receive repayment of any principal or interest as promised.

Morris was ordered to report to prison on October 28, 2024. The facility will be determined by the Bureau of Prisons.

Morris, who previously pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of tax fraud, must pay $4,901,413.32 in restitution to investors and $526,476.58 in taxes, penalties, and interest to the Internal Revenue Service.

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