News

Actions

Jeremy Johnson settles FTC case, plans appeal of conviction

Posted at 4:33 PM, Aug 04, 2016
and last updated 2016-08-04 18:33:10-04

SALT LAKE CITY — The man who launched the political corruption investigations into two of Utah’s former attorneys general has settled another case against him.

Lawyers for St. George businessman Jeremy Johnson announced on Thursday that his family had “reluctantly” settled a case brought against him by the Federal Trade Commission in Nevada. In that case, Johnson was being sued on allegations he defrauded customers of his iWorks business of hundreds of millions.

Johnson’s lawyer, Karra Porter, said in a statement that after he was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison on charges of making a false statement, his family re-opened settlement talks with the FTC.

File: Jeremy Johnson briefly speaks to FOX 13 outside the federal courthouse.

File: Jeremy Johnson briefly speaks to FOX 13 outside the federal courthouse.

“We were not going to admit any wrongdoing, because we have spent years proving that the FTC case lacked merit,” Porter said in the statement. “So we did not agree to any language that the FTC would have won its case. But the family’s top priority had to be Jeremy’s criminal case.”

Porter said that as part of the settlement, Johnson’s wife, Sharla, would move out of their home but keep her car and some other property. His parents will also get $750,000 back.

Now, Johnson’s family is planning an appeal — potentially to the U.S. Supreme Court — and raising money for it. The family launched a website to raise money and tell their side of the case. They are particularly critical of the judge using the dozens of credit card fraud charges Johnson was acquitted of against him in sentencing, and comments the judge made to jurors during trial.

A screen shot of the website launched by Jeremy Johnson's family to raise money for his appeals.

A screen shot of the website launched by Jeremy Johnson’s family to raise money for his appeals.

Porter told FOX 13 she anticipated an appeal to the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals next week.

Johnson is a key figure in the criminal case against former Utah Attorney General John Swallow. He accused Swallow of participating in a scheme to bribe Nevada Sen. Harry Reid to influence the federal investigation against him. Swallow denies any wrongdoing.

The case against former Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff was dismissed last week.