A federal indictment unsealed Tuesday, Oct. 13, charges Draper resident Parker James Wilde, 29, with securities fraud, wire fraud and money laundering.
The charges allege Wilde ran multiple investment schemes that allegedly cost approximately 200 victims millions of dollars, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Utah. U.S. Attorney Melissa Holyoak announced the indictment.
Starting in August 2021, Wilde allegedly pitched investors on a "done-for-you" e-commerce scheme, using social media to project an image of wealth and expertise, according to the indictment. He also allegedly recruited investors into a cryptocurrency day-trading scheme, promising significant returns.
Wilde allegedly spent investor money on an extravagant lifestyle to create the appearance of success, Gephardt Daily reported.
The federal charges follow a state civil action. In December 2025, Utah's 4th District Court ordered Wilde to pay up to $7.9 million after the Utah Division of Consumer Protection filed a complaint, KSL reported. The division's two-year investigation found that many consumers never received a functioning Amazon store or had their products launched. The division did not identify a single consumer for whom Wilde built a profitable store, according to KSL's reporting.
Consumers had paid Wilde consulting fees between $5,000 and $20,000, plus inventory costs of $7,000 to $10,000 per product type, according to the state complaint. Many complainants reported Wilde made unauthorized purchases with their credit cards. Bank records indicated he used most of the funds to buy cryptocurrency for himself and to pay off personal credit card debt, the division found.
That December 2025 court order also permanently bars Wilde from participating in money-making schemes, telemarketing or offering business opportunities for sale in Utah, according to KSL.
When the state judgment was announced in December 2025, Utah Division of Consumer Protection Director Katherine Hass called it "a monumental win for the division and, more importantly, for the consumers Parker Wilde deceived."
The FBI Salt Lake City Field Office and the Utah Division of Consumer Protection are jointly investigating the federal case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brent Andrus and Mark Woolf are prosecuting.
An indictment is an allegation. Wilde is presumed innocent until proven guilty. No public statement from Wilde or a defense attorney has appeared in available reporting.
A jury trial is set for Dec. 18 at the Orrin G. Hatch United States Courthouse in Salt Lake City.
