Attorney General's News Release

May 20, 1997

Las Vegas telemarketer sentenced to five years in prison, ordered to repay Bowling Green woman he defrauded

Bowling Green, Mo. — A Las Vegas man was sentenced Friday (May 16) to five years in prison and ordered to pay restitution to an elderly woman from Bowling Green who was defrauded of more than $10,000 in a telemarketing scheme.

Daniel A. Doherty Jr. had pleaded guilty last November in Pike County Circuit Court to two criminal counts of unlawful merchandising practices brought by Attorney General Jay Nixon. Nixon charged that Doherty contacted the Bowling Green woman several times in 1995 and asked her to contribute to an anti-drug education campaign so that she could receive bonus prizes of equal or greater value than her contribution.

The woman sent $10,737 to Doherty and his business, Golden Enterprises, but received prizes worth less than $350. In addition, Nixon said, the woman's contributions were never used for anti-drug education in Bowling Green, as Doherty had promised. An FBI search of Golden Enterprises in 1995 turned up sales records and tape recordings confirming the woman's transactions with Doherty.

Nixon said the successful prosecution of Doherty was another example of how state, federal and local law enforcement have been coordinating efforts to catch fraudulent telemarketers.

"It doesn't matter if you are trying to hide behind state lines or even international boundaries if you are using the telephone to try to rip off Missourians," Nixon said. "We will find you, prosecute you, and have you stay as a guest of the Missouri Department of Corrections."

Doherty's sentence will run consecutive with a 10-year sentence he received for telemarketing fraud in Iowa and concurrent with an 18-month federal sentence he received for telemarketing fraud. Circuit Judge Fred Rush also released Doherty's $5,000 bond to the state, to be applied immediately as part of the restitution to his victim.

Nixon said his office has also obtained convictions and prison sentences in the past 18 months against three Californians and a New York man on charges related to fraudulent telemarketing calls made into Missouri. Nixon encouraged anyone with information about fraudulent telemarketing activity to contact the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Hotline at 1-800-392-8222.

Inquiries from consumers should be directed to consumer@ago.mo.gov or 1-800-392-8222 (from within Missouri) or 573-751-3321 (outside Missouri).

All media inquiries should be directed to Press Secretary John Fougere.

E-mail      Phone: 573-751-8844         Fax: 573-751-5818