Published on: December 2, 2024, 07:11h.
Last modified on: December 2, 2024, 07:11h.
An Arizona restaurant owner awaiting trial for the savage killing of a teenager whose body was set on fire in the Tonto National Forest has been charged with embezzling millions of dollars and gambling with the stolen funds.
Anthonie Ruinard Jr., aged 39, was apprehended in July 2023 as a suspect in the murder of 18-year-old Parker League. League’s remains were discovered “dismembered, stabbed, and burnt beyond recognition” in a desert area just outside Apache Junction, Arizona on June 11, 2023.
Scheme Exposed
Recently, a federal grand jury indicted Ruinard for deceiving at least 54 investors in his fraudulent company, Legacy Investors Group, Inc., out of $5.6 million.
Ruinard pretended to be a wealthy investor with assets exceeding $470 million. He assured victims that his astute investments in venture capital, private equity, and real estate would yield a 5% to 6% monthly return on investment, as per the charges.
While some initial investors received payouts, others lost everything in a classic Ponzi scheme. Ruinard squandered the money on casino gambling and luxury vehicles, including a $344,000 armored car, according to federal prosecutors.
Identity Theft
In the murder case, Ruinard was apprehended when he began using the victim’s bank cards posthumously. League was in Arizona visiting friends from Nebraska when he crossed paths with Ruinard at a Phoenix nightclub.
Surveillance footage from June 11 showed League and his suspected killer leaving a gas station in Chandler, Arizona together. This was the last sighting of League alive. His disappearance was reported by his family when he failed to board his return flight on the day his body was found.
Authorities found traces of the victim’s blood and DNA in Ruinard’s vehicle. He faced charges of drug possession, weapon possession, theft, murder, and body concealment.
These charges were dropped after he was indicted by a federal grand jury in March for murder and concealment. He now faces 19 charges of wire fraud and transactional money laundering in the latest indictment.
Restaurant Destruction
Ruinard previously owned the Pastiche Modern Eatery in Tucson, a restaurant that served Modern American dishes and hosted live jazz until employees quit following bounced paychecks. Subsequently, a fire caused extensive damage to the establishment, and it never reopened.
Ruinard has a lengthy criminal record that includes armed robbery, theft, a bomb threat at a school, and animal abuse.