Joseph Robert Merry, Jr., a 42-year-old man from Plaistow, New Hampshire, has been sentenced to 51 months in prison for participating in a fraudulent scheme involving dog training businesses. Acting United States Attorney Jonathan S. Ross made the announcement regarding the sentencing.
According to court records and Merry’s plea agreement, Merry misled people into investing in dog training businesses that he allegedly set up in Indiana, New Jersey, and Lee County, Alabama, by making false assurances about lucrative contracts. In order to make his fraudulent claims appear more credible, he even pretended to be potential clients, including impersonating a senior executive of an energy company.
Investors were deceived by Merry, causing them to invest large amounts of money in anticipation of profits from contracts that, in reality, did not exist. This deceitful act even led some investors to relocate to different states in search of employment opportunities with Merry’s supposed businesses, only to discover that they were non-existent. Unfortunately, Merry took advantage of these investment funds for personal gain.
During the sentencing hearing held on March 27, Merry received a court order to compensate the victims with a sum of $1,271,790 as restitution for the harm caused by his fraudulent actions. Additionally, he was required to forfeit $1,515,000 in assets.
