Man That Promised 500 Century Lumber Jobs Convicted Of Felony Fraud

September 7, 2012

CULLMAN, ALA — The man behind a promise of up to 500 jobs announced in 2010 that never materialized in Century — has pleaded guilty to financial  fraud charges brought against him by Alabama  authorities.

James Leonard Craft, age 72 of Century, pleaded guilty to engaging in a scheme or artifice to defraud in connection with the sale of securities. He faces from one to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $370,000.

An investigation by the Alabama Securities Commission found that Craft solicited funds from investors to purportedly purchase wood products from South America, which were to be resold to U.S. distributors for the making of railroad cross ties and other products at a plant to be located in the former Alger Sullivan Lumber Company building in Century.

Craft was the manager of Century Lumber and Land, a company that held a ribbon cutting back in October 2010 for a group of new businesses that planned to locate in Century’s vacant Alger Sullivan Lumber Company property and bring up to 500 jobs to the struggling town. According to Workforce Escarosa, over 3,000 people applied for those jobs.

Craft stood holding the arm of Century Mayor Freddie McCall in October 2010 as the mayor cut a symbolic ribbon for Century Lumber and Land. Community members, Century town council members, county commissioners, and other county government representatives and business officials stood behind a Century Area Chamber of Commerce sign as the yellow ribbon fell.

But there was a tidbit very few of them knew — Craft or the company never had any legal claim the property where he was holding the ribbon cutting.

“It was never sold; it never even had a binder,”  EXIT Realty NFI-Commerical agent Gary Watson said last year on behalf of the property owners.

In 2010, the Alabama Securities Commission issued a cease and desist order on Craft and his Century Lumber and Land after an attempt was made to solicit money from Alabama investors in at least three Alabama counties. The ASC said neither Craft or his business was registered to sell securities in Alabama as required by law.

In testimony in Cullman County (Ala.) Circuit Court, Craft readily admitted to Judge Gregory Nicholas that he intended on using the money for personal reasons while simultaneously making a fraudulent pitch that the investors’ funds were to be used to purchase wood products.

In September 2011, Craft was arrested by the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office and extradited to Etowah County, Ala., face charges. Craft’s arrest stemmed from a Etowah County Grand jury indictment for alleged illegal securities activities associated with his company. Indictments against Craft were also returned in Cullman and Shelby counties. All of the charges were later combined and tried in Cullman County Circuit Court.

“I hope the conviction of Mr. Craft sends a clear message to other fraudsters out there that the State of Alabama will not tolerate criminals preying on the citizens of Alabama,” said Greg Biggs, who prosecuted the case for the Alabama Securities Commission.

Craft remains free on bond while a pre-sentencing investigation is completed to determine Craft’s ultimate sentence and ability to pay $185,000 in restitution to his victims.

Pictured top: Convicted felon James Leonard Craft (light blue shirt, front left) holds the arm of Century Mayor Freddie McCall as he cuts the ribbon for Century Lumber and Land in October 2010. Pictured below: A group hoping to apply for a job gathered during the ribbon cutting. Pictured inset: The former Alger Sullivan Lumber Company building in Century was the planned home for Craft’s company. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.

http://www.northescambia.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/lumberland10.jpg

Comments

11 Responses to “Man That Promised 500 Century Lumber Jobs Convicted Of Felony Fraud”

  1. chris1 on September 7th, 2012 7:09 pm

    Give him the MAXIMUM.

  2. JW on September 7th, 2012 6:21 pm

    I wonder if Keegan Staffing will go after him next since most of his “new hires” (myself included) were interviewed and “hired” though them.

  3. 429SCJ on September 7th, 2012 4:39 pm

    To end one’s days in prison. What were you thinking, building false hopes in people, who need those jobs?

    No mercy for Old Man Craft.

  4. Crystal Kelley on September 7th, 2012 4:00 pm

    This man had my daddy come out and work a solid 2 months cleaning around the property with Doziers , and backhoes and a trackhoe we paid diseal and man power with no pay and was promised every week a check. What a sorry way to do a hard working man with old beliefs that a man is as good as his word and his handshake.

  5. Molino Mom on September 7th, 2012 2:54 pm

    The picture showing the men waiting in the sun in hopes of applying for a job is what the real heart break is here. God bless them for trying to work when so many others sit on their butts waiting on a free handout from the government! I pray all of you either have, or will find good paying jobs to support your families. Everyone should be very proud of these hard working citizens!

  6. Darko Sladovic on September 7th, 2012 9:38 am

    How many scam artists have “promised” jobs in Century only to run off or wind up in jail. The helocopter guy was over in China a few weeks back, now this guy? Is there any lookin’ into their backgrounds before we crack open the Champangne? Do we just keep taking their word at face value?

  7. Henry Coe on September 7th, 2012 9:36 am

    Wow. What a loser. It’s heart breaking to see these folks on the North end of the county getting these jobs & businesses dangled in their faces and getting promises of real jobs, only to be let down. It’s just cruel at this point. He should get a longer sentence.

  8. KJ on September 7th, 2012 9:01 am

    It never ceases to amaze me how much work a person will do to get money dishonestly but is unwilling to hold a job for a weekly paycheck…..

  9. joe on September 7th, 2012 8:47 am

    perhaps this guy will get a nobel prize too for “his promises to century”
    if Obama can get a Nobel prize for doing nothing perhaps we should give this guy something as well…
    Oh wait the tax payers will give him something, room and board with 3 hots a day for an extended period of time.

  10. Dan on September 7th, 2012 8:27 am

    Interesting to see that someone besides Obama
    makes false claims about creating jobs.

  11. Abe on September 7th, 2012 7:11 am

    Minor details, I wonder how this huckster thought it would all end?

    It’s really tragic that it wasn’t real. There’s a lot of people in century that wants to work.

    I’d bet the Mayor wishes he had that photo op to do over again.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News