[UPDATED] Shaine Joseph LaVoie, Co-Founder of Ezekiel Clothing Co., Accused of Ripping Off Investors in Phony New Ventures

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UPDATE, FEB. 10, 1:37 P.M.: Here's a piece of Shaine Joseph
LaVoie's booking photo.

For those who do not have the energy to hit “MORE” to see the full version of the mugshot after the jump and read the accompanying text, LaVoie is accused of defrauding investors in clothing ventures authorities claim are phony. He co-founded Ezekiel skateboard clothing company in the 1990s out of a Dana Point garage and left the company in 2003.

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UPDATE, FEB. 8, 1:29 P.M.: It's been pointed out to yours truly that it could have been construed from the original version of this post that Vince De La Peña is also a defendant in the case against his fellow Ezekiel skate clothing brand co-founder,  Shaine Joseph
LaVoie.

Far from it: De Le Peña is an alleged victim in the case, confirms the Orange County District Attorney's Office.

I
regret anyone coming away from the first post believing De La Peña is
also facing charges and have re-tweaked it to make that more clear.

Courtesy of Orange County District Attorney's Office

Shaine Joseph LaVoie is accused of being part of two schemes that ripped off investors.

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ORIGINAL POST, FEB. 7, 4:25 P.M.: Shaine Joseph LaVoie, who co-founded Ezekiel Clothing Co., is accused of defrauding multiple investors in new clothing ventures that turned out to be phony. And prosecutors fear all of those stung by the alleged schemes have yet to be identified. Possible victims are encouraged to come forward.

LaVoie and Vince De La Peña started Ezekiel out of a Dana Point garage in the 1990s, and both left the company in 2003.

Now, LaVoie faces up to
seven years and eight months in state prison if he is convicted of
getting two men to invest in a nonexistent clothing line called
Agnus, promising them high returns.

The 41-year-old Dana Point resident is charged in a separate case with convincing friends and acquaintances to invest in a
fraudulent $1 million scheme involving a large shipment
of designer jeans supposedly being sold to a Japanese buyer. Prosecutors say LaVoie told investors the deal would close in under three months with up to a 100
percent profit.

For the Angus case, LaVoie faces four felony counts of grand
theft, two felony counts of theft from an elder, two felony counts of
using an untrue statement in purchase or sale of a security, and one
felony count of writing insufficient-funds checks. He has a pretrial hearing scheduled in a Santa Ana courtroom on May 6.

In the jeans-to-Japan case, LaVoie is looking at 11 felony
counts of grand theft, 10 felony counts of misrepresentation in the
offer or sale of a security, and one felony count of forgery. He has a March 7 hearing date in the same courtroom for the re-trial of that case.

Anyone who believes they have been stung in the alleged schemes is asked to contact Supervising District Attorney
Investigator Eric Akerlind at (714) 347-8691.

According to the Orange County district attorney's office statement that follows, LaVoie eventually cut off contact with his investors and used $800,000 in ill-gotten funds for rent, expensive gifts and luxury items for him and his girlfriend. 

February 7, 2011

OCDA SEEKS PUBLIC'S HELP IN IDENTIFYING POTENTIAL ADDITIONAL VICTIMS OF
MAN CHARGED WITH DEFRAUDING INVESTORS IN FAKE CLOTHING LINE SCHEME

SANTA ANA – The Orange County District Attorney is seeking the public's
help in identifying potential additional victims of a man charged with
defrauding investors in a fake clothing line scheme. Shaine Joseph
LaVoie, 41, Dana Point, was indicted on four felony counts of grand
theft, two felony counts of theft from an elder, two felony counts of
using an untrue statement in purchase or sale of a security, and one
felony count of writing non-sufficient funds check. The defendant faces a
maximum sentence of seven years and four months in state prison if
convicted. He is scheduled for a pre-trial hearing May 6, 2011, at 8:30
a.m. in Department C-40, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana.

       

In a separate case (Case # 06CF0973), LaVoie is charged with 11 felony
counts of grand theft, 10 felony counts of misrepresentation in the
offer or sale of a security, and one felony count of forgery. He is
scheduled for a re-trial March 7, 2011, at 8:30 a.m. in Department
C-40. 

Circumstances of Case # 11ZF0100

In 2007, LaVoie is accused of approaching two separate victims and
convincing them to invest in a fake, non-existent clothing line called
Agnus with the promise of high returns. La Voie is accused of stealing
$10,000 from William H. and $4,200 from Brandon W. and never paying the
victims back for their “investment.” He is also accused of writing a bad
check from a closed account for $15,000 to Brandon W.

Circumstances of Case # 06HF0973

In 1992, the defendant co-founded Ezekial, a skateboarding clothing
company. He left the company in 2003. Between February and October 2004,
LaVoie is accused of approaching his friends and acquaintances to
invest in a new business. He is accused of convincing them to invest in a
fraudulent $1 million scheme that he claimed involved a large shipment
of designer jeans being sold to a Japanese buyer. La Voie is accused of
claiming the deal would close in under three months with up to a 100
percent profit.

When investors began to contact LaVoie for payment on their investments,
the defendant is accused of lying that the shipment had been delayed
due to customs problems. He is accused of creating a Ponzi scheme to pay
back early investors with new investor's money. A “Ponzi” scheme is
when investors are offered high, short-term returns on investments, but
instead of the investments generating actual income and legitimate
profits, the money from the investors is kept for the benefit of the
defendant or used to repay earlier investors.

LaVoie is accused of eventually cutting off all contact and failing to
return calls from his 12 victims. He is accused of failing to pay back
over $800,000 in stolen “investments.”  He is accused of spending the
stolen money on rent, expensive gifts, and luxury items for him and his
girlfriend.

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
Yvette Patko of the Major Fraud Unit is prosecuting these cases.