March 21, 2019
Las Vegas, NV – Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford announced that Las Vegas resident Paulette Marie Goetz, 70, was sentenced in a criminal case involving an investment scam run through an entity doing business as Corporate Associates, Inc. Goetz, who operated and controlled the business, previously pleaded guilty in this case to one count of securities fraud and one count of multiple transactions involving fraud or deceit in the course of an enterprise or occupation, both category “B” felonies.
Through Corporate Associates, Inc., Goetz duped her victims into investing thousands of dollars by making a series of misrepresentations. She falsely promised, among other things, that there was no risk involved in their investments, and that her investors were guaranteed a profit of at least 10 percent of their investment per month. However, the money was never invested nor returned to the victims. In total, the victims named in the indictment lost a total of $232,500.
Eighth Judicial District Court Judge Stefany Miley sentenced Goetz to 48-240 months in prison, and ordered Goetz to pay more than $20,000 in investigative costs to the State.
“I believe the job of my office is justice, and that means justice for victims who were defrauded out of their hard-earned money,” said Attorney General Aaron Ford. “Any Nevadans who believe they have been victimized by a scam or elaborate scheme are encouraged to file a complaint with my office.”
“Enforcing Nevada’s securities laws is one of my priorities as Secretary of State” added Secretary Barbara Cegavske. “If you are asked to invest in a program that promises extremely high returns with little or no risk, I encourage you to reach out to the Nevada Securities Division. Sometimes these types of high-yield investment programs are fraudulent.”
This case was investigated by the Secretary of State’s Office. The Office of the Nevada Attorney General prosecuted this case.
To view the criminal indictment against Goetz, click here. To file a complaint about someone suspected of committing fraud, click here. The Nevada Securities Division can be reached at 702-486-2440 or by emailing nvsec@sos.nv.gov.
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