In Gilbert, Arizona, yesterday morning, the local police came for Stanley Torgerson. Torgerson, the owner of ICA, had been under investigation by the FBI, among others, and despite numerous protestations of innocence, a Maricopa Country grand jury delivered a 101-count indictment on Tuesday, with multiple instances of fraud and more than 50 victims. According to a statement by County Attorney Bill Montgomery,
The conduct alleged in the indictment handed up by the Grand Jury is breathtaking in its scope. The citizens of Maricopa County can feel confident that my office will aggressively prosecute individuals who violate the public trust under the guise of operating legitimate businesses.
At the end of 2009, Torgerson allegedly began selling customer vehicles and pocketing the proceeds, ignoring phone calls, emails and in-person communication with the victims. An analysis of Torgerson’s financial accounts revealed he was spending sale proceeds on family members, personal expenses and other businesses.
Torgerson is being held on a $50,000 cash only bond, and if convicted on all counts and sentenced to consecutive aggravated terms, faces the possibility of spending the rest of his life in prison.
While these charges only go back about 18 months, allegations of irregularities – and lawsuits – have dogged ICA for at least five years. Torgerson is still also listed as the manager of the Arizona Connection collector car dealership; we don’t know how ICA and AC are or were connected financially and legally, but it’d be worth keeping your eyes on their inventory.