Attorney General's News Release

February 9, 2011

Attorney General announces indictments against executives and associates of Greenleaf Companies and The Real Estate Company

Jefferson City, Mo. – Attorney General Chris Koster announced the Greene County grand jury has returned five felony indictments stemming from his office’s investigation of Greenleaf Companies and The Real Estate Company, as well as individuals involved in the companies. The indictments are as follows:

• Eric Christian Gagnepain, 38, of Springfield, former part-owner of Greenleaf, is charged with ten counts of securities fraud and nine counts of unlawful merchandising practices;
• Scott Allen Dasal, 44, of Springfield, former President of The Real Estate Company, is charged with ten counts of securities fraud and nine counts of unlawful merchandising practices;
• Misty May Perkins, 30, of Highlandville, former Director of Investor Relations for Greenleaf, is charged with ten counts of securities fraud;
• William David Strong, 42, of Springfield, former Vice President of Finance and Daily Operations for Greenleaf, is charged with one count of securities fraud and five counts of unlawful merchandising practices; and
• Robert Lee Batchman, 33, of Ozark, former real estate broker for The Real Estate Company, is charged with four counts of unlawful merchandising practices.

According to Koster, Greenleaf solicited investors to purchase homes and in selling securities related to the purchase of those homes omitted key facts and made misrepresentations. When Greenleaf and The Real Estate Company subsequently sought to sell those homes to consumers, consumers were not told critical information regarding the ownership and financing of the homes.

Gagnepain, Dasal, Perkins and Batchman were released from custody after posting bond. Strong remains incarcerated in the Greene County Jail. The next court appearance for each of the defendants will be pre-trial conferences, scheduled for May.

Each charge of securities fraud carries a maximum potential sentence of ten years incarceration and a one million dollar fine. Each charge of unlawful merchandising practices carries a maximum potential sentence of four years incarceration and a five thousand dollar fine.

As in all criminal cases, the charges against the defendants are merely accusations, and the defendants are each presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law.

Lane David Sanders, 42, of Ozark, former President of Greenleaf, pled guilty last Thursday to one count of securities fraud and one count of unlawful merchandising practices. A sentencing date for Sanders has not been set.