Jeffrey James Morris, Real Estate Fraud, West Virginia 2024

WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – In a shocking turn of events, local real estate developer Jeffrey James Morris, 37, has been sentenced to five years in federal prison after swindling millions of dollars from unsuspecting investors.

Morris, the managing member of Roxby Development, LLC, was found guilty of perpetuating a scheme to defraud investors out of more than $5 million dollars. The scheme involved misrepresenting how the money would be used, providing forged documents, and lying about the prospects of securing tax increment financing.

According to court statements, Morris secured local and national funding to develop real estate in Wheeling, West Virginia. He acquired the Scottish Rite Cathedral, the McClure House Hotel, and the Mount Carmel Monastery. However, instead of making improvements to the properties as promised, Morris used the funds to make Ponzi-style payments, using one investor’s money to pay another.

“Jeffrey Morris preyed upon his investors, his employees, and upon the hope of Wheeling residents who believed that he was leading a downtown renaissance,” said U.S. Attorney William Ihlenfeld. “Morris was a master manipulator who left a trail of broken promises in his wake.”

U.S. District Court Judge John Preston Bailey presided over the case and made a finding that Morris caused undue financial hardship to several investors, including a retired couple who invested their entire savings with him but did not receive repayment of any principal or interest as promised.

Morris was ordered to report to prison on October 28, 2024. The facility will be determined by the Bureau of Prisons. As part of his sentence, Morris must pay $4,901,413.32 in restitution to investors and $526,476.58 in taxes, penalties, and interest to the Internal Revenue Service.

The matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service-CI. United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jarod Douglas prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.

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