Investigators arrest 2 on securities fraud charges

Investigators for the Nevada Secretary of State's securities division have arrested two people on charges of fraud and theft.

Philip Edward Haskin, who operated out of Reno, was charged with defrauding a Carson City woman out of $5,000 by convincing her to invest the money in Advanced Communication Integration.

According to investigators, Haskin claimed the company had no legal problems and was grossing nearly $1 million a month. Investigators say the company had been ordered to vacate its Reno office for failing to pay rent and had a $2,000 IRS lien against it.

Elizabeth DeMaria of Las Vegas was charged with 11 counts of securities fraud and 11 counts of theft for allegedly bilking nine victims out of $199,000. She allegedly told those people they were investing in the Vegas Channel, a local cable channel, and promised them a return of up to 10 times their investment after 13 months, 20 times the investment after 18 months.

Investigators say more than $126,000 of the money was withdrawn by DeMaria for her own uses.

Secretary of State Ross Miller said people should check with his office before investing in such offers.