Former Fayette County businessman sentenced to prison for defrauding investors
A former Fayette County business man was sentenced to serve 27 years in a federal prison for bilking people out of millions of dollars through dummy businesses.
U.S. District Judge Irene M. Keeley handed down the sentence, which included over $3 million in restitution, against Michael J. Pavlock, 59, in a Charleston, W.Va. federal court on Monday.
Pavlock, formerly of Greene County, was convicted in December of 12 counts of wire fraud and three counts of making false entries on a bankruptcy document.
Prosecutors charged that Pavlock convicted people to invest in businesses that either didn’t exist, or weren’t successful, and used their money for his person reasons like buying cars, a condo or funding his girlfriend’s cosmetic dentistry.
Among the businesses Pavlock owned was the now-defunct Masontown Telegraph newspaper.
In addition to the restitution, Keeley also ordered Pavlock forfeit several vehicles she determined were bought with the proceeds.
Richard Powell II, 42, of Point Marion was convicted of one count of making a false statement on a bankruptcy document during the same trial as Pavlock. Earlier this year, Powell was sentenced to 15 months in prison.
In addition to handing down Pavlock’s sentence, Keeley also denied a motion for a new trial.
For more information, read Thursday’s HeraldStandard.com.