Utah Ponzi Auction Features Wildebeest, Hyena, ‘Full Body African Lion,’ Other Exotic Animals; Event Expected To Draw Large Crowd And Help Recover Some Losses

A taxidermy of a full-body African lion is part of the proceeds of the alleged Waterford Funding LLC Ponzi in Utah.

America’s Ponzi culture now has spawned a taxidermy auction from “assets recovered in one of the largest alleged Ponzi fraud cases in Utah,” according to website of the auctioneer.

Among the items up for bid are a “full body African lion,” Cape Horn buffalo, African antelope and hyena, wildebeest and other exotic animals. Forty-three firearms also will be sold, along with “beautiful, top-quality office furniture,” paintings, Persian and Oriental rugs, “fine home furnishings, antiques and more.”

Statewide Auction Co. of Salt Lake City will conduct the auction at its Utah State Fair Park facility tomorrow beginning at 6 p.m. A preview begins at 10 a.m. The event is part of the bankruptcy of Waterford Funding LLC. Waterford was owned by Travis Wright.

The company was placed in bankruptcy last year, and Ponzi allegations emerged.

A separate, Ponzi-related auction involving more than 200 vehicles tied to the alleged Jeffrey Lane Mowen Ponzi was held in Utah earlier this year. Mowen was jailed after his extradition from Panama, and later charged in an alleged murder-for-hire plot to kill witnesses in his Ponzi case.

Visit the website of Statewide Auction Co. to get details of the Waterford Funding LLC auction. (Got to the bottom of the page to find a link that leads to images of other assets of the alleged Ponzi that will be sold at a later date. One of the items is a “British ‘Tele’ Booth”; another is a “Child’s ‘Baby’ Grand Piano.”)