FBI seeks possible Las Vegas victims of man indicted on fraud charges
The FBI is seeking any possible victims in Las Vegas and elsewhere of a man who was recently indicted in Lufkin, Texas, according to a press release.
Matthew “Matt” Jess Thrash falsely claimed to have a business relationship with a sports memorabilia store owned by the late Pete Rose, as well as having business interests in several existing or planned cannabis dispensaries in Las Vegas, according to the indictment. He tried to get money from people to invest in planned cannabis dispensaries, but he did not have any interest or ownership in any dispensaries, the FBI said in the indictment.
Thrash was indicted Nov. 6 by a grand jury in the Eastern District of Texas on charges including wire fraud and money laundering.
The FBI said in the press release it believes Thrash primarily targeted people between 2012 and 2024 through a number of fraudulent investment schemes.
Officials said Thrash targeted people in Las Vegas as well as Shreveport and Lake Charles, Louisiana; Tampa, Florida; and throughout the state of Texas.
There are several confirmed victims in Las Vegas, but FBI spokeswoman Melinda Garcia said she could not provide an exact number. Overall, there are over 60 confirmed victims, she said.
“We believe there are more because of how long he conducted his schemes, which was over 10 years,” Garcia stated in an email.
At various times, Thrash also presented himself as a Major League Baseball scout, a sports agent for athletes and an owner of sports management agencies, the indictment states. He also had a scheme to defraud the Small Business Administration for Paycheck Protection Program loans during the COVID crisis, the indictment says.
“Mr. Thrash used and employed various fraudulent schemes to obtain money from others. A critical component of his schemes was presenting himself as a successful businessman with lucrative investment opportunities. Individuals should not be embarrassed if they invested in one of his schemes. We encourage you to come forward so that you can receive assistance and help us hold him accountable in a court of law,” FBI Dallas Acting Special Agent in Charge P. J. O’Brien said.
Contact Marvin Clemons at mclemons@reviewjournal.com.