Aaron Wagner, a Utah businessman who cultivated an image of extreme wealth, has pleaded guilty to fraud, money laundering and bank fraud after admitting that his lavish lifestyle was funded by misappropriated investor money rather than genuine business success. The 44-year-old, who ran property firm Wags Capital, faces up to 80 years in prison at his November sentencing, though his estranged wife says she has been told he agreed a plea deal that will see him serve around 10 years.

Wagner had flaunted a $5.3 million mansion, a $2 million private jet and cars including a Rolls-Royce and Lamborghini, funded by using investor cash meant for property developments to bankroll his personal spending, and by diverting funds intended for one project to another. His wife, Candace, told the Daily Mail she has spent 26 months trying to divorce him, having filed before his indictment, reconciled briefly, then filed again in June 2024 on learning of the fraud allegations. The couple, who share seven children, are now subject to mutual protective orders and can only communicate through an intermediary, with a divorce trial set for March.