Self-Professed Native American Supporter Faces Fraud Complaints

By Katie Hauser

Published on September 13, 2006

Leonard acted as the chief executive officer of the Indigenous Global Development Corporation, a company claiming to be the first in the United States to have a board of owners mainly comprised of Native Americans.

Leonard used his false credentials to prey upon the kindness of investors who believed they were contributing to the welfare of our native population. He claimed to have profitable deals in the works with tribes in Canada to purchase natural gas and resell it in the US for a profit. He even went so far as to produce false press releases to garner support for himself and his company, and claimed that some of the profits would be directed toward the research of a new diabetes vaccine that would help Native Americans.

No such deal ever existed, and it is believed that Leonard defrauded investors of more than $2 million.

The SEC complaint was filed in San Francisco and calls for fines and an injunction preventing Deni Leonard from serving as an officer or director of a public company.

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