CASTLE ROCK, Colo. (KRDO) -- A 73-year-old Lone Tree man was convicted of two felony counts of securities fraud and one count of felony theft after prosecutors said he conned a hotel cook out of $7,500.
The 23rd Judicial District Attorney's Office in Castle Rock said Wednesday the "fraudulent investment scheme" happened in October 2023, when Robin Heiney was living at the Sonesta Hotel in Lone Tree.
Prosecutors said Heiney presented himself as a day trader and convinced a cook working at the hotel to invest $7,500 toward ownership shares of an investment firm called "Latt Investments, LCC." Three months later, Heiney showed the hotel cook fake documents showing that the investment had increased to $133,000, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors said the scheme started to unravel when the hotel cook became suspicious and started searching Heiney's name online only to find that Heiney had a lengthy criminal history that included a 1995 securities fraud conviction, nine months in prison for violating probation and a 1999 felony theft conviction.
In 2010, Heiney was convicted of forging signatures of delinquent student borrowers to consolidate student loans, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors also found that Heiney had been barred by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission as a broker or dealer.
Heiney is scheduled to be sentenced for his latest conviction in January. The DA's office said Heiney could face up to 12 years in prison.
"The conviction is a reminder that financial fraud can happen anywhere, including in places where people live and work," Deputy District Attorney Mark Mitacek said in a statement. "The victim trusted Heiney with his hard-earned money, only to discover that the investment opportunity was a sham. Our office will continue to pursue those who exploit that trust for personal gain."
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