Conversion Solutions Holdings (fka CSHD)

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Adairsville fugitive arrested in Utah
by Staff reports 15 mins 16 secs ago | 58 views | 0 | 1 | |

An Adairsville man who attempted to escape a federal prison sentence has been found and arrested, officials say.

Rufus Paul Harris, 43, originally of Adairsville, but most recently from Oklahoma City, was arrested on Sunday morning by deputies of the U.S. Marshals Service at a residence in Provo, Utah.

The arrest came after a five-day, nationwide, manhunt.

According to the United States Attorney's Office:

The former CEO of Conversion Solutions Holdings Corporation, decided to flee before the conclusion of two-week trial where he was found guilty in his absence.

Harris fled Atlanta on Monday evening, May 23, after the eighth day of a jury trial where he faced charges of securities fraud, wire fraud, falsifying financial statements, and conspiracy. He was convicted of all eight counts. Harris, who was representing himself, had been on bond pending resolution of the trial.

“I am happy to announce that this defendant was arrested without incident less than a week after he fled. In that short time, the defendant was able to travel nearly 2,000 miles, but that was not far enough for the talented and hard working deputies of the United States Marshals Service, and the other federal and local law enforcement agencies that assisted, said U.S. Attorney Sally Quillian Yates in a statement issued Sunday.

Harris was convicted of a multi-million stock pump-and-dump fraud scheme where he and two others pumped up the company’s stock price with false claims and inflated financial statements, while they were secretly dumping stock through immediate family.

According to U.S. Marshals, they were assisted by local law enforcement in Oklahoma and Utah, who helped follow the trail “that Mr. Harris unintentionally left.”

Harris was arrested without incident, Marshals say.

Harris is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 18 and could receive a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for the securities fraud charge, 25 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for the conspiracy charge, and 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for each count of the wire fraud charges.

The false certification of a financial statement charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000. He may also face additional charges of bail jumping.

http://romenews-tribune.com/view/full_story/13488009/article-Adairsville-fugitive-arrested-in-Utah-?instance=home_news_lead_story