A Grand Junction business owner who pleaded guilty to theft has been sentenced to 45 days in jail and ordered to pay about $522,000 in restitution among eight victims.
Mansel Zeck, 68, was also sentenced to 10 years probation.
Zeck was charged with theft after his business, Innovation Homes, filed for bankruptcy in December of 2019.
He was accused of taking money from clients with the intention of seeking bankruptcy protections in order to not pay the debts.
One couple alleged Zeck had taken $150,000 from them to build them a home with no intention of doing so. A flooring supplier also said they were owed $23,000 by Zeck for previous work.
Zeck was ultimately charged with 16 felonies, 15 of which were dropped as part of the plea deal.
Those charges included racketeering, money laundering, theft, securities fraud, check fraud and attempting to influence a public servant.
The charge Zeck pleaded guilty to was theft of $100,000-$1 million, a class 3 felony.
MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO ATTEMPTED ARSON
A Grand Junction man accused of setting fire to an apartment in the Laurel House housing for vulnerable youth has been sentenced to five years in community corrections.
Cameron Eskelsen, 21, was also ordered to pay about $222,000 in restitution after pleading guilty to one county of attempted arson.
Eskelsen was arrested Jan. 7 after firefighters responded to a fire that was deemed to be suspicious that was said to have been started in his apartment. Three apartments were deemed complete losses.
Charges of arson, criminal mischief, reckless endangerment and possession of drug paraphernalia were dropped.
