March 29, 2024

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Continental Resources claims it lost millions of dollars in scams. Here’s what we know

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Continental Resources headquarters in downtown Oklahoma City.

Continental Methods headquarters in downtown Oklahoma Metropolis.

Continental Sources statements it has lost tens of millions by means of royalty frauds exactly where other people purportedly utilized the company’s confidential business methods to receive mineral rights cheaply, and then make sizeable profits via subsequent transactions.

The business introduced a single civil suit in 2020 and a second just one this 12 months that targets certain folks and firms for roles it claims they played in these alleged strategies.

Allegations contained in its 2020 litigation also have led to federal prosecutors’ achievement in obtaining fraud convictions from two adult males and a prospective grand jury indictment versus a 3rd who originally have been focused as defendants in the company’s civil fit.

Additional: Continental Resources’ lawful actions continue on, and other interesting items

Continental Resources and others also are being sued right after just one of its employees searched the business office of a small independent producer who rented room in a developing owned by 1 of the defendants in the 2020 case.

Here is a breakdown on the cases and their statuses.

Continental Sources vs. Dyer, et. al

What it’s about:

In a lawsuit it submitted on April 20, 2020, Continental Assets accused Blaine Dyer and quite a few co-conspirators of doing work with at minimum a person of its workforce to cheat the business out of millions of bucks “through a collection of fraudulent, disguised transactions utilizing Continental’s most private business info” involving its foreseeable future drilling plans.

Continental Resources promises Dyer and his colleagues utilized its information and facts to obtain substantial blocks of mineral rights they predicted the enterprise would seek out to acquire or execute leases with entrepreneurs for right before drilling all those lands. It statements Dyer and other individuals then marketed all those legal rights to Continental or executed drilling leases with the corporation at significantly increased values than what it should really have compensated.

Extra: OG&E wishes to maximize your costs. This is what we know about what occurs up coming.

What has took place:

Oklahoma County District Court docket Judge Anthony Bonner dominated in February the demo in opposition to Dyer and the others could progress right after they attempted to have the situation thrown out due to the fact Continental failed to follow required suggestions to get evidence as aspect of its case.

Continental Methods also introduced its intention to include Robert Hefner V and other defendants to its 2020 case.

What is up coming:

On Might 4, Judge Bonner will think about a ask for filed by an attorney representing defendant James Dyer (Blaine’s cousin) that seeks to pause the complete civil circumstance right until a a opportunity federal fraud indictment similar to the scheme that may perhaps be headed his way is adjudicated.

Alternatively, legal professional Nick Larby, of Larby & Associates, wants the judge to halt any ongoing discovery requests that have been served on James Dyer and his linked businesses until eventually his client’s prison matter has been resolved.

Continental Resources vs. Robert Hefner V, et all.

What it truly is about:

A circumstance filed on April 22, 2022 accuses Hefner, two of his firms, two other named defendants, five Jane and John Does and 5 unnamed entities of performing with a person of Continental Resources’ former workers to use the company’s confidential drilling options in a scheme to obtain, keep and resell mineral rights.

What has happened:

The scenario was assigned to Oklahoma County District Court docket Decide Don Andrews.

What is future:

Lawyers symbolizing Hefner and the other defendants will make formal appearances in advance of the court as part of the situation.

Much more: In oil-wealthy Oklahoma, wind drives new electrical power report

United States of The united states v. Justin Biggs

What it can be about:

Biggs, a senior landman at Continental Resources, was accused of performing with a co-conspirator he had employed to safe mineral rights for the company and other individuals to use confidential enterprise information and facts to dedicate sincere companies wire fraud.

What has transpired:

Biggs pleaded guilty to the cost right before U.S. District Decide Jodi W. Dishman on Dec. 16, 2020.

What is up coming:

Biggs could be essential to provide up to 5 yrs in jail, be essential to fork out a good of up to $250,000 and could be essential to participate in a two-calendar year method of supervised release. He has not still been sentenced.

United States of The usa v. Mitchell K. Coatney

What it is about:

Coatney, an attorney, was accused of doing work with Biggs and many others to use confidential Continental Means information and facts involving its drilling designs to commit sincere service wire fraud.

What has transpired:

Coatney pleaded responsible to the demand ahead of U.S. District Judge Dishman on Oct. 6, 2021.

What is future:

Coatney could be expected to serve up to five many years in prison, be necessary to spend a great of up to $250,000 and could be needed to participate in a two-year software of supervised launch. He has not yet been sentenced.

Perpetual Generation vs. Continental Means, et. al

What it is about:

A circumstance submitted May possibly 26, 2021 by Perpetual accuses Continental Means, one of its workforce, a area real estate agent, his business and a regional economic advisor and his agency of working collectively to illegally lookup its offices inside of of a building owned by Blaine Dyer immediately after mistakenly believing that Perpetual was owned by the central defendant in Continental Resources’ 2020 litigation.

What has took place:

Litigants have submitted quite a few motions seeking evidence or searching for to block the gathering of proof by way of discovery requests. Defendants also have submitted motions inquiring Oklahoma County District Court docket Decide Natalie Mai to dismiss the situation.

What is following:

Mai has program a listening to on June 14, 2022 to contemplate the dismissal requests.

Business Writer Jack Cash addresses Oklahoma’s power and agricultural beats for the newspaper and Oklahoman.com. Get in touch with him at [email protected]. Be sure to support his function and that of other Oklahoman journalists by subscribing to The Oklahoman.

This posting originally appeared on Oklahoman: Continental Methods civil, relevant prison instances updates provided

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