A former Tucson restaurant owner facing murder charges in the 2023 killing of a Nebraska teen is now facing federal fraud charges.
A federal grand jury last week indicted Anthonie Ruinard Jr., 39, of Chandler, on 19 counts of wire fraud and money laundering in an investment scheme that netted him $5.6 million, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorneyβs Office in Phoenix.
The federal indictment alleges Ruinard presented himself as a successful investor worth more than $470 million. Between 2020 and March 2023, Ruinard, under the guise of Legacy Investors Group Inc., promised monthly returns of 5% to 6% to investors of his venture capital, private equity and real estate schemes, according to the indictment.
Some early investors recouped some of their money, but others lost their entire investments, documents state.
Ruinard used the money for living expenses, credit card payments, casino gambling and to buy luxury cars including a $344,000 armored vehicle, the indictment states.
If convicted, Ruinard could face as much as 30 years in prison and up to $500,000 in fines .
Ruinard has been jailed in Maricopa County since his arrest in July 2023 in connection with the June 2023 slaying and dismemberment of Parker League, an 18-year-old from Nebraska who was in Arizona visiting friends.
Video footage from a number of locations where Leagueβs bank card was used linked Ruinard to League, police said. A search warrant of Ruinardβs Chandler home and vehicles uncovered DNA evidence including a circle of blood the size of a basketball found in the car trunk, according to charging documents.
Ruinard Jr.
At the time of his arrest, according to court documents, Ruinard was found with $27,000 cash and cocaine.
His arrest shocked employees and longtime customers at the popular Tucson restaurant Pastiche Modern Eatery on North Campbell Avenue. Ruinard bought the restaurant in September 2021.
Former employees said Ruinard commuted from Chandler to the Tucson restaurant once or twice a week, oftentimes pulling up in different luxury vehicles. Some described him as charismatic and friendly, but employees said almost from the start, Ruinard had trouble paying them; paychecks would come late or would bounce.
In February 2023, the employees quit en masse; not long afterward a small fire at the restaurant caused extensive electrical and water damage.
It closed and has never reopened.
Ruinard was indicted in Maricopa County in March on charges of second-degree murder and concealment of a dead body in Leagueβs death.
