A preliminary hearing has been set for a Provo couple charged with taking money from scores of people who were promised they would get large settlements from the federal government.

Jack F. Gilbert, 54, and Sally Ann Gilbert, 52, appeared in 4th District Court Wednesday. Judge Anthony W. Schofield ordered the Gilberts to return to court for a preliminary hearing June 5.Both Gilberts are charged with 10 counts of securities fraud, an unclassified felony, and one count of racketeering, a second-degree felony.

Police in Uintah and Utah counties received numerous complaints about the Gilberts' business, Flying Eagle. Alleged victims told police the Gilberts held meetings to get people to pay them $300 each.

The Gilberts allegedly told people that they would file claim forms with the federal government to recover damages for wrongs, settlements from class-action lawsuits or revenues from seized overseas assets.

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Jack Gilbert told a judge last month that he was employed as a computer programmer at Brigham Young University but lost his job when the Attorney General's Office filed the charges in December.

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