An affidavit filed in federal court on Tuesday (July 2) says the FBI suspects James Bolt of the Situs Cancer Research Center in Rogers of mail and wire fraud, and money laundering.
The affidavit was attached to a forfeiture document regarding the FBI seizing property from the center. It was filed by U.S. Attorney Conner Eldridge in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas, Fayetteville Division.
The affidavit asserts Bolt and Situs "submitted false information to Computershares Inc. by mail in order to have Computershares Inc. release unclaimed property to Situs in the form of a check or wire transfer." The document cites five properties in California.
Bolt used "proceeds of the scheme" to buy a house at 303 Rife St. for $208,394; the clinic at 1222 W. Poplar St. in Rogers for $660,626; and another property at 1204 W. Poplar St. for $99,765, according to the affidavit.
On Monday (July 1), the clinic at 1222 W. Poplar St. was open for business. FBI agents begin a white-collar crime investigation into the clinic last Thursday, officials said.
Bolt, who is listed on the center’s website as "principal investigator," told 5NEWS on Monday he is a researcher there.
Bolt said he is not sure why federal authorities are investigating the clinic, but added the clinic submitted a report to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission before the raid about a donation to the clinic.
Last week FBI agents raided three locations in Rogers, including a home, said Kim Brunell, supervisory special agent at the FBI's Little Rock office.
Federal authorities also seized three airplanes registered to the clinic from the Rogers Municipal Airport and one from the Bentonville Municipal Airport, officials said.
At 1222 W. Poplar St., agents were seen removing items from a MobileCare van last Thursday. A Web address printed on the side of the van directs viewers to Situs Oncology, a cancer research center at 504 N. 13th St. in Rogers. The Web address is situsoncology.org.
Brunell said the investigation involves activity that poses no direct threat to public safety.
Bolt was convicted of mail fraud in 1982. He was acquitted in a 2006 case that accused him of running a fraudulent scheme aimed at investing money in a new pharmaceutical drug, according to federal court documents.
