Former LDS stake president pleads guilty to scamming $1.5M from church members

SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — A former stake president in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has pleaded guilty in federal court to using his position to scam $1.5 million from friends and fellow church members over a 12 year period.

Robert Glen Mouritsen, 72, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud, a federal felony, in federal court in Salt Lake City on Wednesday.

An August indictment stated that Mouritsen was using his "prominent position" as a stake president in the LDS Church to convince friends and fellow church members to give him money for a fraud scheme called "The Project." The indictment alleges the scheme started in 2006 and continued through Aug. 28, 2018.

An LDS stake president is a local leader who presides over a group of congregations called "wards," which are run by bishops. Stake presidents are the spiritual leaders for hundreds to thousands of church members.

Over a 12 year period, Mouritsen collected $1.5 million, including $326,399.51 from one victim in his Ponzi scheme. The most recent investment from this victim occurred in or around 2016.

The second victim provided $165,000 and the third victim gave Mouritsen $33,000, according to court documents.

The indictment alleges that Mouritsen failed to not tell the investors that "The Project" was not making any money. He also allegedly used a majority of the funds for his personal use.