BAY MINETTE, Ala. — Two more men, Paul Dawyne Liggett, 37, of Fenton, Missouri and Michael David Judd, 33, of Studio City, California were arrested recently on security fraud charges in connection with Synergy Finance Group, and its owner, Richard Tucker, 38, of Robertsdale.

Liggett was arrested on February 3 and taken to the Baldwin County Correctional Facility in Bay Minette and charged with Unregistered Securities but was released on $35,000 bond.

Judd was arrested on January 28 and taken to Bay Minette as well. He was charged with Omission and Misrepresentation of a Sale and released on $100,000 bond.

Both men will be arraigned on March 18 in Baldwin County Circuit Court and their charges stem from involvement in a scheme with Tucker and a network of agents around the country to defraud investors of thousands of dollars they were persuaded to wire to Synergy accounts. The investors were promised multimillion dollar returns on their investments that never came, according to Alabama Securities Commission documents.

Tucker, who resides at 21467 Oakridge Drive, was arrested on July 9 by Baldwin County Sheriff’s deputies and Alabama Securities Commission Enforcement Division agents and taken to Baldwin County Correctional Facility in Bay Minette. He was charged with Selling Unregistered Securities, Omission and Misrepresentation of Sale, First Degree Theft of Property and Unregistered Securities and released on $50,000 bond.

According to a press release submitted in July by the Alabama Securities Commission and then Baldwin County District Attorney Judy Newcomb, “Charges stem from Tucker’s alleged activities in association with Synergy Finance Group, LLC, in Robertsdale. An investigation by ASC Enforcement Division and the D.A.’s office revealed Tucker was allegedly operating an advance fee loan business, self-described as a ‘’multibillion dollar loan brokerage’ and solicited money from U.S. and foreign investors seeking large, non-collateralized loans involving unlawful securities transactions.”

ASC officials said neither Tucker or any of his agents were registered with the ASC to conduct securities business in Alabama or to offer or sell securities outside of Alabama.

Tucker is scheduled to be arraigned in Baldwin County Circuit Court on February 18.