Boise jet-boat maker agrees to plead guilty to fraud

A jet-boat maker prosecutors say took millions of dollars from customers but never delivered their boats has agreed to plead guilty to wire fraud and bank fraud.

The Idaho Statesman reports that the plea agreement filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Boise came just weeks before Christopher Bohnenkamp’s trial was set to begin.

Authorities say the charges stem from Bohnenkamp’s Whitewater Customs and Treasure Valley Marine. Bohnenkamp closed the shop in Boise before moving to Youngstown, New York, in 2015.

Bohnenkamp in October 2016 denied 21 counts of wire fraud totaling about $1.7 million and six counts of bank fraud totaling more than $1 million.

Prosecutors say he used the money for a lavish lifestyle and gambling trips.

Bohnenkamp is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday.

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Information from: Idaho Statesman, http://www.idahostatesman.com