PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – John E. Acker, 53, formerly of Santa Rosa Beach, was sentenced to 135 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to 37 counts of wire fraud and 7 counts of money laundering. The sentence was announced today by Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
“This sentence should serve as a significant deterrent to those who would defraud our citizens of their hard-earned savings to unlawfully enrich themselves,” said U.S. Attorney Coody. “Our local and federal law enforcement partners are to be commended for their teamwork and dedication during the course of this investigation and prosecution. Through their collective efforts, the culprit has been held accountable and justice has been obtained for his victims.”
Between 2013 and 2020, Acker induced numerous individuals and corporations to invest over $4 million with him by making various fraudulent misrepresentations, including that the investment was for a real estate or other business-related “deal” with high guaranteed returns. He told would-be investors the “deal” was for a purchase and sale, or “flip,” of a property or business. However, Acker instead used funds meant for investments to pay for his personal expenses or pay back prior investors whose funds he had previously misused. Acker made other false statements to gain investors’ trust and influence them to invest, such as mischaracterizing or falsifying his relationship with…
