MSCL.com

Sacramento man arrested in alleged $1 million face ID fraud

DON THOMPSON

Associated Press


SACRAMENTO - A Sacramento man has been arrested on allegations he bilked investors of more than $1 million he said would go in part to develop a face recognition system in the wake of the 2001 terrorist attacks.

Ross Allen Rojek, 36, was charged with wire and mail fraud for his operation of Face Information Technology, known as Face IT, the FBI said. He also apparently operated American Equity Group LLC under the alias of Jason Williams, the FBI alleged in an affidavit made public Monday.

While Rojek purportedly told investors he was developing a system that would automatically match distinct facial features to a database, "it doesn't seem to be anything he was seriously working on," FBI spokeswoman Karen Twomey Ernst said.

Investors were told patents were pending, but no patent requests had been made, the FBI said.

Investors received an unsolicited telephone call, followed by a business prospectus sent by express mail, the affidavit says. The prospectus included apparently bogus biographies of Face IT's management team alleging they were highly educated former executives of Netscape Communications. Some investors were told the company was on the verge of an initial public offering of stock on the NASDAQ stock exchange.

At least 32 people from around the nation invested at least $467,000 in Face IT, also doing business as Sentry Biometrics, the FBI said. Bank records show that their investments were quickly converted to cash and withdrawn.

Another 47 investors put about $590,000 into American Equity Group, which presented itself as a real estate investment trust headquartered in San Francisco. Of that, $218,900 was transferred to American Entertainment Group, of which Rojek is president, and the rest was quickly disbursed.

The investors were told their money was generating extraordinary returns, but they never saw the money or dividends without repeated requests, the FBI alleged.

Jason R wrote:I know there are bigger issues involved here now, but if you are interested, I can try to find out how remaining materials can be channelled to people who are still owed.

That, or I can contact BF to see if the bonus materials can be made available for a limited run at cost to those who didn't get them.

crispy wrote:It's too bad the FBI is only interested in someone when they steal from wealthy investors. Who cares if Ross cheats regular consumers like us? Pardon my bitterness. I am glad he's been arrested, in any case.

Jason R wrote:I know there are bigger issues involved here now, but if you are interested, I can try to find out how remaining materials can be channelled to people who are still owed.

That, or I can contact BF to see if the bonus materials can be made available for a limited run at cost to those who didn't get them.

Hi Jason! Good to see you posting here again... Yes PLEASE try to contact Bedford Falls... I know we'd all be extremely grateful! I'm one of those people who cancelled their orders with AU, disgusted by that thieving weasel Rojek.... and came to regret it... never receiving a refund, and losing all chance of seeing the bonus dvd as well. What I'd give for another chance to buy it...and straight from the creators of MSCL too! That would be wonderful...

Jason R wrote:I kind of "sensed" this was coming and had to be a little more patient than I am used to being.

Ross Rojek, 36, of Sacramento [...] also apparently operated American Equity Group LLC under the alias of Jason Williams