SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Nov. 28, 2016 (Gephardt Daily) — A Utah County man who posed as an official of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in order to dupe investors out of more than $1 million has been sentenced to prison.
Alan McKee, 57, of Benjamin, on Monday was sentenced to 15 years in the Utah State Prison for each of two charges: second-degree felony theft and second-degree felony communications.
The sentences will run concurrently.
McKee has been sentenced to pay half the restitution owed to victims, who lost more than $1.26 million. McKee’s business partner and co-defendant, former county commissioner Gary Anderson, is expected to pay the other half. If Anderson cannot pay, McKee will be responsible for the full amount.
Anderson’s case is still pending. He has a Dec. 9 court date for a scheduling conference.
McKee also will be added to the Utah White Collar Crime Registry for 10 years.
On Oct. 14, McKee pleaded guilt to theft and pattern of unlawful activity. As part of his plea deal, four counts of second-degree felony communications fraud were dropped.
McKee and Anderson, 69, were charged in connection with alleged scams between 2012 and 2015 in which police say they pretended to be a number of LDS Church officials — including then-presiding bishop of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Gary Stevenson — to gain cooperation of a business and two individuals.
According to a news release from the Utah Office of the Attorney General, McKee reportedly bilked Ames Construction and two people out of $1.2 million.
McKee is “alleged to have sent letters to Ames Construction purporting to come from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in connection with the construction of a building site in Elberta, Utah,” the statement said.
“Anderson is alleged to have assisted by making at least one phone call posing as an LDS Church official to an Ames Construction employee. McKee and Anderson were also alleged to have induced two victims to invest in a scheme to purchase excess farm equipment.”
McKee allegedly tried to sell a piece of railroad line in Tooele County on property owned by the Union Pacific. McKee reportedly told two different entities he owned the land before selling it to them.
This spring, Union Pacific Railroad police saw crews removing railroad tracks from the land, and were told it was on the instruction of McKee. About seven miles of track were removed, costing the railroad between $189,000 and $240,000, according to court documents.
