Maine Man Facing Charges of Securities Fraud

Portland, MEA man from Scarborough, Maine, is facing a trial in the state on charges of securities fraud after he allegedly scammed a New York church out of $400,000, The Associated Press reports.

span itemprop="image" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/ImageObject" style="display:block">Darren McDunnah, 51, is set to go to trial on March 2 in Cumberland County Superior Court in Portland on the charges of securities fraud and felony theft by deception, according to the news provider.

In September 2004, McDunnah is alleged to have promised the Addulum Gospel Church in Cobleskill, New York, a $1.6 million return on their $400,000 investment, prosecutors say. Instead of following through on the promise, McDunnah allegedly kept the money for himself.

McDunnah, who has been in jail since May, was initially indicted five years ago and was ultimately arrested in Arizona last year, the news source said. In an interview, McDunnah told the Portland Press Herald that "law and fact are on my side. I expect to be exonerated on all charges."

The Herald reports that McDunnah does not have any criminal record in the state of Maine.