Former Georgia Board of Regents member Dean Alford is denying claims in a civil lawsuit that he ran a Ponzi scheme that defrauded investors out of about $6 million.
Alford's attorney submitted paperwork Monday refuting the allegations in the lawsuit, filed in federal court in October.
“Mr. Alford denies that he engaged in any wrongful conduct, that he violated any laws, or that he is liable for the claims asserted by plaintiffs,” the attorney, James Eidson, wrote.
The 24-page answer was Alford’s first response to the court allegations. Alford made a similar denial in a written statement to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in an article published Sunday. Eidson wrote that he has no knowledge to admit or deny most of the allegations filed by the 39 plaintiffs. He demanded proof of other claims.
The response offers little detail about Alford’s defense. Eidson declined further comment Thursday about the response.
Alford resigned from the board, which oversees operations of the state's public universities, in October after the Georgia Attorney General's office filed racketeering and criminal attempt to commit theft by taking against him that month. Prosecutors say Alford filed false paperwork and forged a university employee's signature to try to get about $2.2 million for his Rockdale County-based business, Allied Energy Services.
The plaintiffs say Alford “concocted a scheme” to get money by telling investors he needed funds for a waste-to-energy plant approved by Augusta officials in 2018. The project has been on hold, an attorney representing the company has said.
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