Crime & Safety

UPDATE: Founder of Reston-based Financial Firm Sentenced to 12 Years

William Dean Chapman, the founder of a Northern Virginia financial firm, has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for wire fraud.

William Dean Chapman, founder of a Reston-based financial firm, has been sentenced to 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to wire fraud according to the Associated Press

Prosecutors said the Chapman, 44, founder of Alexander Capital Markets, which had offices at Plaza America, cheated investors out of more than $35 million.  

Per the AP:

Find out what's happening in Restonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

    "Prosecutors say 122 investors lost a collective $36 million over the years in Chapman's scheme. One investor, an elected official identified in court papers only by the initials A.G., lost $18 million.
      Prosecutors say investors would transfer stock holdings to Chapman as collateral for loans. Chapman then sold the stocks, despite promising investors that they would get back the value of their stocks."
        Chapman tried to withdraw his guilty plea before Friday's sentencing in federal court in Alexandria but was denied."

        The Securities and Exchange Commission filed suit against Chapman, a Sterling resident, on Sept. 26. 

        The SEC alleges that "from at least June 2006 through June 2009, Chapman and the Alexander Companies raised money by inducing borrowers to transfer ownership of millions of shares of publicly traded securities to them as collateral for purported non-recourse loans based on false promises, including the promise to return the shares, or remit share profits in excess of accrued interest, to borrowers who repaid their loans."

        The SEC believes that Chapman and his firm were doing "nothing to ensure their ability to repurchase and return shares to borrowers who elected to repay their loans, or remit share profits in excess of accrued interest to borrowers. Instead they used the proceeds to pay other borrowers, for operating costs, and for their own benefit."

        It is also alleged that Chapman "fraudulently accepted" more than $2 million in loan repayments from at least two borrowers. 


        FOLLOW RESTON PATCH FOR THE LATEST NEWS AND EVENTS!
        Facebook | Twitter | Daily & Breaking News E-mail Updates 


        Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

        We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

        To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.