A U.S. attorney in Illinois has filed a wire-fraud charge against former photo archivist John Rogers of North Little Rock, court records show.
Rogers is accused of fraudulently obtaining “at least approximately $10 million from victim investors, financial institutions and customers” as owner of Sports Card Plus Inc. and Rogers Photo Archive, both based in North Little Rock.
According to a document filed Friday in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Rogers allegedly used phony memorabilia, contracts and documents to secure more than $4 million in loans from multiple financial institutions for his businesses.
The information sheet from U.S. Attorney Zachary T. Fardon of Chicago references the purchase of a counterfeit Heisman Trophy resembling one given to an athlete, previously reported by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette as 1978 winner Billy Sims.
Rogers knowingly used a fraudulent trophy, featuring a false nameplate, as collateral for a $100,000 loan from an investor, the attorney claims.
That filing also accuses Rogers of using electronic communications to transmit information in Illinois and outside the state as part of a scheme to defraud.
Earlier this year, Pulaski County Circuit Judge Chris Piazza issued three partial summary judgments against Rogers related to a 2014 civil lawsuit by First Arkansas Bank & Trust Co. of Jacksonville.
Rogers has been sued more than a dozen times in recent years by banks and other collectors who accuse him of committing fraud and defaulting on loans. The suits collectively seek nearly $100 million from the former photo archivist.
Read Tuesday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.
Information for this article was contributed by Scott Carroll of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.