NEWS

Ex-Mason mayor found guilty in fraud case

Keith BieryGolick
kbierygolick@enquirer.com
Former State Rep. Peter Beck (left) sits in court while attorneys confer with Judge John West after Beck was found guilty of 13 offenses, including several counts of perjury. Behind him is Larry Cook, of Monfort Heights, who said he was a "victim of the Ponzi scheme" for which Beck was charged.  He said he was happy with West's verdict.  "I'm tired of being lied to," he said, "This was about greed."

A judge found former Mason mayor and ex-state Rep. Pete Beck guilty Tuesday for his part in defrauding investors in a technology company out of millions of dollars.

Beck was found guilty on 13 of 38 felony charges. The guilty verdicts were on seven counts of perjury, three counts of theft and three securities-related counts.

Prosecutors said Beck used his stature to persuade people to invest in Christopher Technologies, or CTech, a software company that couldn't pay its rent, bills or taxes.

Beck was the company's chief financial officer, according to court testimony.

He is scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 20. Beck, a 62-year-old Mason resident, will remain out on bond until then. He faces a maximum of more than 50 years in prison.

Hamilton County Common Pleas Court Judge John "Skip" West told victims in the courtroom after reading his verdict, "You will get an opportunity to be heard."

Beck displayed little emotion and declined to answer questions on his way out of the courtroom.

During a brief recess after the verdict was read, Beck looked straight ahead. The only movement came from his feet under the table, which constantly tapped up and down.

He had pleaded not guilty to 38 counts, including racketeering, theft and perjury. Many counts from his original indictment were dismissed. His trial lasted more than two months.

The case dates to 2006, three years before Beck, an accountant, was appointed a state representative. He resigned in November.

Beck's attorneys said the prosecution had "drawn inferences based on weak and contrived circumstantial evidence."

"This is not a case about theft," said Ralph Kohnen, one of Beck's attorneys. "It's about sophisticated, licensed financial advisers who took a gamble on a startup company. They missed."

The company, Kohnen added, "had great promise -- but it also had great risk."

Kohnen said Beck is a "scapegoat" for others' misdeeds.

Several people have pleaded guilty in the case, including CTech's president, 57-year-old John Fussner of Mason. Fussner pleaded guilty to securities fraud charges and testified against Beck during the trial.

A man whom prosecutors called the "chief rainmaker in (the) criminal enterprise," Tom Lysaght, died in 2010. Kohnen said Beck was being blamed for Lysaght's actions.

Kevin Grasha contributed.