SALT LAKE CITY, Sept. 15 (UPI) -- Utah businessman Jeremy Johnson has posted nearly $2.8 million in bail allowing him to leave jail with an electronic monitoring system, court papers say.
Johnson, who is charged with one count of mail fraud, was arrested June 11 at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, where he was reportedly ready to board a flight to Costa Rica, The Salt Lake Tribune reported Thursday.
The IRS considered Johnson a flight risk, an argument that was given further credence when a business associate testified Johnson had told him he had considerable amounts of cash, gold and silver at his disposal.
Johnson, who is known for his philanthropic efforts in Utah, was arrested on suspicion of running a fraudulent Internet business, I Works, that listed "money-making schemes" and "stay-healthy programs" as part of its product lines.
Some customers who thought they were paying a handling fee of $1.99 found charges of $189 on their credit or debit cards, which were followed up with monthly fees of $59.95, court papers say.
The Federal Trade Commission said I Works had revenues of $350 million and Johnson received $48 million from the business.
The Tribune said more charges are expected. In the meantime, Johnson must wear an ankle bracelet with an electronic global positioning system.
Nathan Crane, Johnson's attorney, said in an e-mail message, "Jeremy is excited to be out of custody to spend time with his family and prepare his defense.
"He is looking forward to proving in a court of law that he was running a lawful business," Crane said.
