Jan Morton Heger Allegedly Pulled $898K Scam With Baja Resort, Ghana Oil Funds and African Gold Mines

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An attorney is scheduled to be arraigned in Santa Ana this morning on charges of
stealing $898,000 from 11 victims in an elaborate investment scheme that involved a luxury resort in Baja California, oil fund loans from Ghana and African gold mine revenues in Ghanan and Nigerian banks.

Jan Morton Heger, 66, of Irvine, is accused of pulling the scam with two other men, one of whom is to be arraigned later the month and another who will never be arraigned because he expired. The 16 felony counts and sentencing enhancements against Heger could put him behind bars for nearly 30 years if he is convicted.

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The Orange County District Attorney's Office statement on today's arraignment case follows:

February 16, 2011

ATTORNEY TO BE ARRAIGNED FOR STEALING $898,000 FROM 11 VICTIMS IN INVESTMENT SCHEME
*Co-defendant faces same charges for his involvement in the fraud

SANTA ANA – An attorney will be arraigned tomorrow on charges of
stealing $898,000 from 11 victims in an investment scheme with two other
men. Attorney Jan Morton Heger, of Irvine, and co-defendant Ramon Andres
Najera, of Laguna Woods, both 66, are charged with 16 felony counts of
using untrue statements in the sale or purchase of securities and 11
felony counts of grand theft, with sentencing enhancement allegations
for aggravated white-collar crime over $500,000, theft exceeding
$150,000, and property loss over $200,000. If convicted, the defendants
face a maximum sentence of 29 years and eight months in state prison.
Heger and Najera are being held on $2 million bail and must prove the
money is from a legal and legitimate source before posting bond.

Heger is scheduled to be arraigned on Feb. 17, 2011, at the Central Justice
Center in Santa Ana. The time and department are to be determined.
Najera is scheduled to be in court for a continued arraignment on Feb. 28,
2011, at 8:30 a.m. in Department C-55 of the Central Justice Center. A
third accomplice in these schemes, Sonny Beckham, passed away July 2008.

Between December 2005 and July 2008, Heger and Najera are accused of
working with Beckham to defraud 11 victims using investment schemes.
Najera is accused of contacting Leo D. after finding the victim's
web site promoting a project to build a luxury resort on the land he
owned in Baja California. On Dec. 6, 2006, Heger and Najera are accused
of convincing Leo D. to pay Beckham a $25,000 fee to secure $5 million
in bonds to use as collateral for a $6-million loan from the West
African Oil Group in Ghana. Instead of producing the promised financing,
Heger and Najera are accused of eluding the victim for 19 months with
excuses and false official-looking documents. They are accused of
stealing the victim's money and never paying it back.

In June 2008, Leo D. contacted the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department to
report a $25,000 theft in a deal with Heger and Najera. In September
2008, further investigation led to 10 other victims. In October 2008,
Heger fled to Thailand. He was arrested and extradited back to the
United States on Jan. 21, 2011.

Circumstances of the Fraudulent Scheme
Heger and Najera, with Beckham, are accused of contacting the above
victims and getting them to pay a percentage fee to secure funding.
Heger is accused of using his credentials as an attorney to legitimize
the deal. Beckham, Heger and Najera are accused of telling the
investors that Beckham had gold mines in Africa and funds in Nigerian
and Ghanaian bank accounts and that in order to transfer funds, the
victims needed to pay a fee. They are accused of accepting a fee ranging
from $25,000 to more than $177,000. The defendants, along with Beckham, are
accused with promising high returns to the victims.

After collecting the money, the three are accused of avoiding the
victims and dodging questions about investment returns. Heger and Najera
are accused of fraudulently collecting more funds from victims for
“customs fees” and “paperwork” to release funds from the African bank
accounts. Some of the victims took out loans against home equity lines,
credit lines, and additional mortgages on their homes. Heger and Najera
are accused of never paying any of the 11 victims.

Anyone with additional information or who believes they have been a
victim is encouraged to contact Supervising District Attorney
Investigator Eric Akerlind at (714) 347-8691.

Deputy District Attorney Matt Lockhart of the Major Fraud Unit is prosecuting this case.