A former Orem funeral plan salesman was charged Monday in 4th Circuit Court with 63 felony counts for allegedly forging customers' names on sales contracts and credit applications for a national vacuum cleaner company.
James E. Wright, 53, appeared before Judge Lynn W. Davis on one count of racketeering, 33 counts of forgery and 29 counts of communications fraud, all second-degree felonies. Wright was arrested Thursday and booked into the Utah County Jail on a $10,000 warrant.Davis set Wright's preliminary hearing for Aug. 12 and increased Wright's bail from $10,000 cash to $25,000 cash.
Wright also was ordered to begin serving a 60-day jail sentence for theft. Wright was convicted of theft and forgery for posing as a salesman for Berg Mortuary last year.
Investigators allege that during January and February, Wright used deceptive sales practices while selling Electrolux vacuum cleaners in Utah's rural counties. He allegedly left vacuum cleaners with prospective buyers to try out and would then forge their signatures on sales contracts and credit applications.
Utah County officials began investigating Wright when Electrolux officials filed a complaint with the sheriff's office. Because none of the alleged deceptive sales techniques occurred in Utah County, local authorities only pursued forgery and fraud investigations.