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PROVO — A Utah County man stands accused of defrauding dozens of people across Utah, stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Investigators said his audacious schemes involved bad checks targeting businesses and even individuals, leaving a trail of financial devastation.
Police alleged Dalton Slangerup, the man at the center of the alleged fraud, used bad checks to fund his schemes, often writing them for large amounts. While the tactics aren't new, officials said it's rare to see such extensive theft by a single individual.
One case unraveled in November when Kirk Steadman, co-owner of Steadman's, encountered Slangerup at his shop on Main Street in Tooele.
"Very friendly, very outgoing," Steadman recalled of their first meeting.
Slangerup was looking to purchase a snowmobile and some snow gear. Steadman said the deal seemed routine until the $21,000 check Slangerup wrote for the purchase bounced. Over the following weeks, Slangerup issued two more bad checks. At that point, Steadman started digging into Slangerup's background.
"This is not good," Steadman said, when he found websites and podcasts devoted to exposing Slangerup.
Steadman's experience was far from isolated. According to Capt. Robert Patrick of the Provo Police Department, Slangerup faces around 10 to 12 charges in Provo alone, with the total amount of alleged fraud exceeding $200,000. One significant theft included a $107,000 check to Larry H. Miller Ford for a brand new truck.
But police say businesses weren't his only victims. Amanda Morrell says she and 20 of her friends were also duped. Morrell explained how Slangerup offered to organize a trip to Lake Powell for $400 per person. On the day of departure, Slangerup claimed he had a family emergency and canceled. The group later discovered there was never a reservation.
"Everyone was kind of like in a panic," Morrell said. "He sent us a text saying, 'Hey, I have a family emergency, I cannot come anymore.' Turns out, there was no reservation for Lake Powell."
Morrell took to TikTok to share her story, sparking an outpouring of similar allegations from others who claimed they'd been scammed by Slangerup. While Morrell managed to recover her money after persistent efforts, many others were less fortunate.
Integrity Motors in Orem is among those still reeling. Police records show Slangerup wrote a $20,000 check for five e-bikes, but the check bounced, leaving the company without the bikes or the money.
Back at Steadmans, Kirk Steadman expressed a hope shared by many alleged victims. "I would just like everybody ... to get their money back," Steadman said.
Slangerup is currently being held in the Utah County Jail and is expected to have his first court hearing in early February. Investigators suggest additional charges are forthcoming from areas across the state. There is talk that the Utah Attorney General's office may consolidate the cases to streamline prosecution.
For now, victims and authorities alike await justice, hoping that the extensive alleged fraud trail left by one man will finally come to an end.
