Surprise, surprise, suuuuuuuurprise. It appears the owner of the Metrocenter Mall might be pulling something shady after all. Metrocenter employees have not been paid while an investor sued the owner for fraud. WJTV reported last night:
How did we get here?
Ms. Sanders opened a new company on December 31, 2019. She is listed as the registered agent for Ashley Sanders & Seiferth Holdings, LLC. Emily Sanders announced on Facebook a year ago she purchased Metrocenter for $10 million. Hinds County property tax records confirm the purchase.
Controversy arose last October when WJTV reported tenants paid deposits and got nothing in return. Ms. Sanders responded on Facebook. She said tenants would get their refunds if they requested them.
An investor sued her and her companies in federal court for fraud and alleged civil RICO violations. The lawsuit is posted below. Christopher Jones accused her of creating dummy companies to obtain funds. She would allegedly create a "fallout" with her partners so she could "cheat" them. Mr. Jones said he invested $150,000 in Metrocenter.
Mr. Jones paid for repair of the roof leaks. He also hired IMS Engineers to perform some work (p.15). The city authorized the mall to open in December.
He said Ms. Sanders created a "fictitious fallout" right before they closed on a $2 million loan. The complaint claims she threatened him with a restraining order. Mr. Jones is representing himself. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves and Magistrate Keith Ball.
However, Ms. Sanders has a few blemishes in her past that should have raised suspicions to anyone dealing with the Metrocenter project. JJ reported on January 24, 2020:
It appears our Metrocenter Mama was busted for some fraud a few years ago. A Jefferson County jury convicted Emily Sanders of two counts false pretenses in 2012. Circuit Judge Lamar Pickard sentenced her to serve ten years in prison consecutively but the second ten years was to be suspended if she repaid $130,000 to the victim.
The verdict states she "fraudulently" represented to Dudley Guice that she had an agreement with Moran Foods to open a Save-A-Lot grocery store in Fayette. Guice invested $130,000 with Sanders. She was granted parole in 2014 and is currently on probation. Earlier post.
Does any of this 2013 Natchez Democrat story sound familiar?
A Natchez woman will spend 10 years behind bars for her part in a business scheme that reportedly bilked an investor by never opening the business into which the victim poured their money.
Emily Sanders, 53, 302 Mansfield Drive, was sentenced in District 22 Circuit Court in Fayette Monday to 10 years in prison followed by 10 years probation for her October conviction on two counts of false pretense.
The sentencing magistrate, Judge Lamar Pickard, also ordered Sanders to pay $132,000 in restitution.
At that time, officials said she had allegedly told a Jefferson County resident she was looking for a business investor. Sanders reportedly told the investor she had already collected three-quarters of the funds needed.
However, the business reportedly never opened, and even though the money was supposed to be put into an escrow account, that never happened, officials said.
Sanders and her husband bilked at least one investor in Illinois. The Illinois Secretary of State barred her from selling securities or soliciting investments in 2007.
It's called due diligence for a reason.
Kingfish note: Now the real question. Who is behind this crap. Some convict didn't just walk in and buy Metrocenter with little or no money. Someone or something backed this deal. The question is, who?
Oh yes, certain Jackson internet media personalities screamed racism at anyone who dared question this deal because of her past. Don't expect any contrition from them.
41 comments:
PAINT ME SHOCKED (said no one with half a working brain)
This is one bizarre story. How in the hell did someone convicted of fraud get a 10 million dollar loan to do something as stupid as resurrecting Metrocenter? Who signed off on that? Can’t be that hard to find out.
It is amazing just how much fraud, chicanery, and outright theft is able to flourish under the protective cover of the white man's fear of being labeled a racist.
From my understanding (take this with a grain of salt), it was given to her through a 501-c3 charity or whatever so the owner could get the $86,000 tax bill off this books. Thats pretty much the only thing that makes any sense to me. Its obvious that they didnt have the money to do any real work on the place and tried to do the absolute minimum to get it occupied and open (probably assuming she could rent more spots out and use the incoming income to do renovations and float payroll. Her intentions probably started off well enough, but throw in covid shutdowns, etc and it all went to hell in a handbasket.
Honey, shut yo mouth! Shysters come in all shapes, colors, and genders.
They must have had ‘The Art of the Deal’ in her prison library.
>certain Jackson internet media personalities screamed racism at anyone who dared question this deal because of her past.
Which morons were these?
All you need is nerve, gall, and a confident smile. The suckers will come. There are plenty of loopholes if you know where to look. It's all about spending other peoples money. Our economy is built on it. Most people simply do not possess the nerve, gall, or confident (believable) smile to sustain a long con. If you are good enough you can make a good con last for years...
YEARS.
She keeps asking and she keeps getting money from folks. Why should or would she stop.
I said a year ago that this lady was just the local PR face for the actual owner. Or even if she really does own it, she likely got the seed money to buy it from either rich Middle Eastern (most likely) or Asian investors for whom $10 million is walking around money. I wonder what the terms are if she failed to deliver a successful project?
Anybody who believed a woman with a checkered past and no record of any successful economic development or redevelopment project on this scale could revitalize this outdated relic of the bygone era of indoor malls deserved to get screwed over.
If she got a 10 year sentence in 2013 why is she not still in prison? I have excellent credit, a job, a home, a family, no criminal record and money in the bank and I couldn't get a $10 million loan if my life depended on it. What does she know that the rest of us don't? How gullible can people be?
people actually moved INTO the mall??? as part of the salary package...
wow..they must have been desperate for a job. i wonder if theres small print that says if they quit they have to pay back rent??
They were. It's pretty sad for them.
Clay Edwards' explanation of how she got the mall makes sense, or at least it does in this crazy town.
I see from scattered Facebook posts that the mall had a 'soft' opening this month with just a handful of shops. As curious as I am about what's going on, I'm not willing to risk losing a tire or getting jacked to see for myself.
The U.S. Attorney needs to investigate. This is wire fraud at the very least.
I rode around that mall yesterday. The road, parking lots, and surrounding area looks like a disaster area. I can imagine what condition the building itself must be in. No one in their right mind would put money into that place. It's done.
People living in an abandoned mall(in west Jackson I might add) as a compensation package? That is borderline hunger games shit.
From the news article:
Katherine Parker, who was the public relations director for the Metrocenter, said she was promised a $50,000 salary following a negotiation with Emily Sanders.
“She said, ‘How about $45?’ And I was like, wow, okay. Then she said, ‘No, $50. The Lord is telling me $50.’ And I said, ‘Thank you, Jesus.’ I’ve never made $50,000 in my life.”
Parker said she hasn’t made a dime. She also said benefits were not included in the deal, but she was prepared to make it work.
If anyone ever offers you a job for $45k then says no Jesus is telling me $50k, especially if they have a sketchy past and a defunct mall...run.
@11:59
None of these people, or their children, will never get invited to Mensa.
Yep, based on KF's initial reporting, I sure didn't see this one coming........[/sarcasm]
Is it possible this deal was “owner financed” with payments to be made over time? Does the previous owner have deed on the property? I’d look it up but I don’t Carr enough beyond writing this....
The people who fell for this scam should have their money taken away from them. If they could not tell this was crooked from the first they should be considered dangerous to society.
The woman should be back in jail where she belongs. While they are at it they should jail everyone who defended the crook.
Grifters-
If they denied her defense, they would be considered racists. Kinda hard to win either way.
I feel like the word “doctor” gets thrown around pretty loosely these days.
I went out to the Water Department at MetroCenter a couple of years ago and walked from one end to the other inside just to see what was left. Expected to meet Snake Plissken at any moment.
Someone offers you a job that you may/may not or not be fully qualified?
Someone offers you a job that pays you a salary at a level you have never earned before?
Someone offers you a place to live at the location of your work? In an abandon mall?
Someone offers to show you the place to live before renovations?
Someone does not immediately start renovations?
Someone does not meet payroll week 1 or 2 and you continue to work?
You agree to all of the above without questions or consultations with an attorney!
So you accept offer and then move into living quarters prior to acceptable renovations!
NO pay no benefits no home no future
Sorry but.........
Surest sign of a scam you can get: "The Lord told me..." or "God put on my
heart..." when dealing with business. Oldest con game in the world and still effective.
More believable: "The devil made me do it".
2:07. as a college professor with a doctorate i agree. i only use that title in academic settings- and only because it’s standard at the place I teach to be called “Doctor”. i’ve learned a lot more about my field after the doctorate than when i was fulfilling the requirements for it.
the “doctor” on this clip would best be served by dropping it and just go by his name. probably why he had to apply at metrocenter and not have a real or academic job right now..
Hopefully the owners of Northpark will buy the ferris wheel...
I can smell prison time in the air.
12:52..."owner financed" as in the owner gave it to her scott free to get out from under the property tax burden.
Wasn't Overby the realtor on this transaction? Surely he know the details on the financing.
I feel sorry for these people. Should have known better but you still feel sorry for someone who didn't know any better.
What kind & where are the apartments there?
THANK YOU WJTV - Good job
It's not a WLBT story. WJTV interviewed the victims and worked it. That probably means someone contacted WJTV.
I was under the impression that overly owned it
she and whomever gave her the money to buy that property knew that the people would believe anything because they are so desperate for someone to do anything in that area! i could look at her from the start and see she was pulling a big con! i don't know why she is not in jail where she belongs - where is she anyway?
She's a Huskster!
The Veracity of it appalling.
so the words “verbal contract” have now been used concerning the salaries. that’s going to make a huge difference!
pulling the bags of frozen meat- great stunt. good luck proving those were his..
"pulling the bags of frozen meat- great stunt. good luck proving those were his.."
That junk was pulled from one of the coolers in the food court! No less than 20 years old.
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