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He resigned from his state job the same day.
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Richard Benda represented the state in both contracts.
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April: Investors in the Deadwood Mountain Grand singed an agreement authorizing $4.5 million in EB-5 funds through Bollen and SDRC. 2013
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Northern Beef lays off 108 production workers and continues processing with 260.
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Pat Costello, commissioner for the Governor’s Office of Economic Development, tells Bollen that Daugaard administration won’t approve SDRC Inc. proposal for a fourth round of EB-5 loans to Northern Beef project.
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Northern Beef files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
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Northern Beef lays off remaining 260 production workers.
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GOED’s Costello terminates state contract with SDRC Inc. for EB-5 management and orders SDRC Inc. to shut down its EB-5 website that lists GOED as one of its partners.
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Attorney General Jackley has office prepare a complaint and arrest warrant to be served on Benda at a future time for two Class 3 felony counts of aggravated theft by deception and by threat for events in Hughes and Brown counties between December 28, 2010, and January 26, 2011, regarding the $550,000 paid from Northern Beef to SDRC Inc. Jackley plans grand-theft charge against Benda for the airline-ticket double payments.
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Jackley arranges for a state grand jury to meet Oct. 28, 2013, on the Benda / SDRC / Northern Beef matters.
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GOED’s Costello contracts with Stulken, Petersen, Lingle, Walti and Jones accounting firm to review each disbursement from state Future Fund grant program covering Jan. 1, 2009, through Sept. 30, 2013.
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GOED’s Costello contracts with Eide Bailly accounting firm to examine internal controls at GOED.
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Rory King, an Aberdeen lawyer representing Northern Beef, confirms to the American News that $550,000 transfer to SDRC Inc. was to pay for loan monitor. This is first public acknowledgment reason for the diversion.
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Benda goes missing from new job with Heartland Consumers Power District at Madison. Also misses meeting related to previous job with a Sioux Falls development company.
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Benda’s body is found on relative’s farm near Lake Andes. State, federal and local law enforcement authorities go to site.
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Funeral held for Benda at Watertown, where he lived prior to moving to Pierre. Among pallbearers is Jim Barringer, chief executive for Aberdeen Development Corp. Benda served on ADC board while living in Aberdeen.
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Daugaard releases statement disclosing there have been federal and state investigations underway.
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GOED’s Costello contracts with Stulken, Petersen firm for two additional reviews of GOED programs.
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Death certificate filed for Benda. Death determined to have been suicide on Oct. 20. Official cause listed as self-inflicted shotgun wound to abdomen using a stick to fire the weapon.
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Daugaard reveals Benda was under state investigation at time of death.
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Legislative leaders from both political parties file a joint resolution requesting the Government Operations and Audit Committee conduct hearings on the Governor’s Office of Economic Development.
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The governor releases special report from the state Department of Legislative Audit regarding Governor’s Office of Economic Development. The audit was requested by GOED. Findings include 2010 - 2011 Future Fund payments to Northern Beef. Double payments in 2010 to Benda for three airline tickets totaling $5,559.80 also confirmed.
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State Auditor General Marty Guindon says approximately $89,000 was paid by state government to Benda for expenses related to EB-5 in 2009-10 that SDRC Inc. should have paid under its state contract. Also, while Benda was still a state employee, SDRC Inc. paid him approximately $62,000 for expenses that didn’t have any supporting documents.
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San Francisco firm White Oak Global Advisors announces completion of purchase of Northern Beef from bankruptcy for $44.3 million. White Oak pays $4.8 million in cash in addition to money previously loaned to project. There had been approximately $80 million in EB-5 investments and $152 million total in capital investment. Plant remains closed.
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Aberdeen American News publishes history of EB-5 in South Dakota based on public documents.
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Attorney General Jackley discloses publicly for the first time to legislators at GOAC meeting that his office had prepared the charges and arrest warrant against Benda and that a grand jury had been scheduled before Benda’s death. The only Democratic legislator at the meeting, Rep. Susan Wismer of Britton, called for the committee to subpoena Bollen but she couldn’t get a second to her motion, so there wasn’t a vote taken. Wismer is the Democratic candidate for governor against Daugaard.
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Citing family privacy, Circuit Judge Kathleen Trandahl rules attorney general acted within his discretion in refusing newspaper reporter’s requests from November and December 2013 to release information from Benda death investigation.
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Rick Weiland, the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, airs campaign ad attacking Rounds, the Republican candidate, on EB-5.
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Rounds tries to avoid EB-5 link and argues that Bollen worked for Board of Regents. Contracts show GOED provided annual funding to Northern State University for institute where Bollen and a secretary were only regular employees.
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California arbitrator finds none of the sides is liable for damages in dispute over 2007 contract between Darley International recruiting firm and Hanul law firm of Seoul, South Korea, regarding an investment project involving Bollen and South Dakota International Business Institute that took all three to China.
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Letter from 2007 on GOED stationery surfaces showing Benda and Bollen signed EB-5 recruitment pitch to investors in China.
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Campaign ad defends Rounds on EB-5, citing arbitrator’s decision.
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Letter from 2005 on governor’s stationery surfaces showing Rounds signed EB-5 recruitment pitch to investors.
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Responding to reporter’s questions, Darley chief Robert Stratmore authorizes use of documents and depositions from Darley-Hanul-SDIBI dispute. Bollen’s deposition, taken over three days in April, outlines actions regarding SDIBI, Hanul, Darley, EB-5, SDRC Inc., Northern State University, Governor’s Office of Economic Development and state Department of Tourism and State Development from 2003 through 2009-10.
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The FBI has closed its investigation into South Dakota's investment-for-visa program, and the U.S. Attorney's office has decided not to pursue prosecution.
FBI spokesman Kyle Loven says the agency recently forwarded its findings of the state's EB-5 program to the office of U.S. Attorney Randy Seiler. Loven says the office decided not to bring charges.
South Dakota was one of the pioneers of the program that recruits wealthy immigrant investors for projects in exchange for green cards.
The progra -
The probe’s findingsMillions missing, improperly spent; state suing for Bollen's records
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Court paperwork: Aberdeen man improperly tapped into roughly $1.24M
http://www.aberdeennews.com/news/local/bollen-charged-in-eb--case/article_d2a57947-a83b-5218-a403-5da68db718a6.html -
Criminal charges filed Thursday against Joop Bollen of Aberdeen stem from a state investigation that started in 2013 and new information that surfaced in December 2015. http://www.aberdeennews.com/news/local/bollen-is-state-s-eb--scapegoat-his-attorney-says/article_e1bba3c2-f821-11e5-94b9-3f9b7621672e.html
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The high-profile financial misconduct case against Joop Bollen, the Aberdeen man who once ran South Dakota’s investment-for-visa program, relies on a little-used felony charge that has been filed in much simpler cases, such as the shooting of a truck with a rifle and the auctioning of a Volvo loader.
http://www.aberdeennews.com/news/local/south-dakota-s-criminal-eb--case-rests-on-little/article_0395c231-8a15-58a8-abfd-68ef57ed7d0e.html -
Joop Bollen of Aberdeen has been indicted on criminal charges he previously faced in alleged misuse of EB-5 funds reserved for state government.
http://www.aberdeennews.com/news/local/grand-jury-indicts-bollen-in-eb--case/article_981a2323-f4a7-5e7a-a9d6-6865013b812d.html -
A fall trial is likely in the case against Joop Bollen, who pleaded not guilty Friday to five felonies tied to alleged improper use of money in a federal foreign investor program.
http://www.aberdeennews.com/news/local/bollen-pleads-not-guilty-to-unauthorized-use-of-funds/article_fb855d3b-ecf8-5f3e-80f8-a8ff3d9296b0.html -
A February trial has been set for Joop Bollen, an Aberdeen man accused of improperly using money in a federal foreign investor program.
http://www.aberdeennews.com/news/local/joop-bollen-trial-set-for-february/article_f4816133-e63d-5335-9428-c36af88ed67a.html -
The Daugaard administration is trying to overturn the federal decision to strip South Dakota state government of its status as an EB-5 immigrant investor center.
http://www.aberdeennews.com/news/politics/sd-wants-to-keep-its-eb--authority/article_88d20096-8096-59b1-8946-c9fb9cf18604.html -
A group of investors in a Deadwood casino has filed a lawsuit against the Aberdeen man who headed the state's investment-for-green card program.
http://www.aberdeennews.com/news/local/casino-investors-sue-bollen-over-eb--operation/article_7f8f9867-8321-55aa-9b6a-1224c1a58207.html -
Joop Bollen's defense attorney successfully argued Tuesday that attorney testimony in a civil case involving SDRC Inc. should not be allowed in Bollen's criminal case.
http://www.aberdeennews.com/news/business/civil-testimony-not-allowed-in-bollen-criminal-case/article_9605235f-488e-57b6-90f9-6d8979820d7f.html -
Judge Tony Portra has denied a motion to dismiss Bollen's indictment.
http://www.aberdeennews.com/news/local/judge-bollen-trial-will-move-forward/article_d29257f5-cb8d-5204-964b-d9b7255937c1.html -
The change of plea could negate the need for a trial next week in the case against the former administrator of EB-5 in South Dakota.
http://www.aberdeennews.com/news/local/bollen-to-change-plea-in-eb--case/article_d9791c69-d8ac-5e6e-97ec-2de56e6519bd.html -
The state's case against Joop Bollen has been resolved without the need for a trial.
http://www.aberdeennews.com/news/local/bollen-pleads-to-count-given-fine/article_42f230a1-095b-595f-9edc-77867e606999.html
