The role of victim in Tuesday's kidnapping is unusual for Carl Wesley Martin, 61.
In the past, he has been the suspect.In 1975, the Securities and Exchange Commission banned Martin from dealing with securities after he violated several federal securities laws, according to a suit filed against Martin in U.S. District Court of Utah.
In 1979, Martin was convicted on three felony counts of federal income tax fraud. He was given four years probation.
In 1989, Martin was charged with federal securities fraud in Florida. Martin and others were accused of bilking more than $9 million from investors through their Florida company, Goldcor. The company claimed to mine gold from the beaches of Costa Rica. The SEC shut the company after a two-year investigation.
Federal investigators say Martin helped secure financing for the company while his partners ran it.
Martin and his partners flew prospective investors to Costa Rica to see the beaches and purported plant. But the gold shown the investors was not produced by the plant, according to the suit against Martin.
In August 1991, one of Martin's partners, Richard D. Brown, was gunned down in Florida only days before he was due to stand trial on similar charges.
After his guilty plea, Martin was sent to prison for nine months and ordered to pay back $10 million to investors.
Martin's past may be linked to the kidnapping. One of Martin's kidnappers accused Martin of ripping off the man's boss.