We reported recently on the start of the fraud trial of Nikola founder and chief con artist, Trevor Milton. – Yes he who filmed a truck heading down the freeway claiming it was Hydrogen powered then in fact it had no engine as was rolling down hill powered entirely by gravity.
The jury found Milton guilty on one count of securities fraud and two counts of wire fraud after deliberating for around five hours. Milton was acquitted on an additional count of securities fraud.
During the trial in federal court in Manhattan, prosecutors depicted Milton, 40, as a “con man” who sought to deceive investors about the electric- and hydrogen-powered truck maker’s technology starting in November 2019.
Reuters report:
Milton, wearing a blue suit and green tie, shook his head as the jurors confirmed their verdict. His attorney said he will file court papers challenging the verdict.
Milton, of Oakley, Utah, was indicted in July 2021. He left Nikola in September 2020 after a report by investigate researcher and shorter Hindenburg Research called the company a “fraud.”
Prosecutors accused Milton of using social media and interviews on television, podcasts and in print to make false and misleading claims about Nikola’s trucks and technology.
They said Milton’s improper statements included that Nikola built an electric- and hydrogen-powered “Badger” pickup from the “ground up,” developed batteries in-house that he knew it was purchasing elsewhere and had early success in creating a “Nikola One” semi-truck he knew did not work.
Milton made the statements about Nikola as it joined the mounting number of tech and EV companies going public through special purpose acquisition vehicles or SPACs. He also was accused of defrauding the seller of a Utah ranch, who accepted Nikola stock options as part of the purchase price based on Milton’s claims about the company.
Image care of Reuters.
