A federal jury convicted a Lenexa business owner on 14 counts of fraud, including supplying false information to secure loans meant for small businesses.
On Thursday, Scott W. Anderson, 53, of Lenexa, was found guilty in the U.S. District Court of Kansas in Kansas City, Kansas, of four counts of false statement in a loan application, four counts of wire fraud, and six counts of aggravated identity theft.
Anderson was part owner of the Lenexa-based Riley Drive Entertainment, a company that operates Saints Pub + Patio in the area, as well as previous businesses like Taco Hangover.
Anderson falsified information, defaulted on loans
In 2018 and 2019, Anderson applied for loans on behalf of Riley Drive Entertainment from the Small Business Administration, a federal government agency that provides support to entrepreneurs and small businesses, according to federal documents.
When Anderson submitted the applications, the company was a defendant in civil lawsuits. Despite that, he falsely responded that he or the companies he controlled were not involved in any legal actions.
Riley Drive also defaulted on two SBA loans: $3.6 million from Oakstar Bank in March 2018 and $700,000 from Landmark Bank in March 2019. The defaults caused losses to the SBA of about $2.17 million and $658,141.
Anderson also found guilty of wire fraud, ID theft
The jury also found Anderson guilty of committing wire fraud and identity theft related to a future receivables sale agreement with Itria Ventures LLC.
Anderson had employees pose as other business partners to get the agreement with Itria and forged their signatures, according to a federal indictment.
That agreement, and the alleged misrepresentations that fostered it, led Itria to send nearly $600,000 to Anderson’s bank account across four payments between 2018 and 2019.
At the time when Anderson was originally charged in March 2023, his attorney Robin Fowler wrote in an email to the Johnson County Post that he maintained his innocence.
The Post’s request for comment on this week’s verdict was not returned as of the time of publication.
Riley Drive opened multiple business in the area
The company operated several Saints Pub + Patio locations in the Midwest, including one in Lenexa City Center, which remains open, and a Saints Pub Express in Shawnee, which closed months after opening.
Saint Pub Express opened in the same location as a previous Riley Drive Entertainment restaurant, Taco Hangover, which closed less than a year after opening.
Riley Drive also owned Ignite Wood Fire Grill, which was located near I-435, but it closed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The building is now home to a Jack Stack Barbecue.
Likewise, the company’s plan for a multimillion-dollar entertainment complex in Lenexa dubbed The Yard never materialized, reportedly due to market conditions.
Other Johnson County federal court news: Olathe tax preparer pleads guilty to fraud, causing $1.5M in tax loss
