Utah judge overrides probation deal, sentences to prison smug Shark Tank jerk Nate Holzapfel
PROVO, Utah – A “gifted swindler,” and “dangerous predator” – words women used to describe a Utah entrepreneur during his sentencing hearing Friday.
Former “Shark Tank” contestant Nathanael “Nate” Holzapfel, 44, was charged with scamming women out of hundreds of thousands of dollars and sexually abusing some of his victims.
He showed up to his sentencing in Provo on Friday expecting to leave the courthouse a free man, after previously accepting a plea deal aimed at keeping him out of prison and off the sex offender registry.
That deal crumbled after the judge heard from women Holzapfel was charged with defrauding and sexually abusing, and in an unexpected turn of events, Holzapfel left the courtroom in handcuffs.
https://ksltv.com/574569/utah-judge-overrides-probation-plea-deal-sentences-entrepreneur-to-prison/
Former 'Shark Tank' contestant admits to defrauding, inappropriately touching multiple women
In a statement supporting the plea — which addressed eight different cases filed against him — Holzapfel admitted to defrauding a woman he was dating between February and November 2020 and convincing two other women to invest in his businesses, but not passing any investment returns to them.
Holzapfel caused the woman he was dating to lose her home, which was built specifically to accommodate her disabled son, according to charging documents. He convinced her to transfer money in her home to Save My House LLC — a company he claimed would protect the equity in her home.
Charging documents for one case said that in September 2021, Holzapfel told a widow he met on Tinder, while he was married, that he would invest $50,000 from her late husband's life insurance in his company Bristol and Beard, offering her a 10% return and $1 million after the company sold. The woman never received any money.
In another case, charging documents said Holzapfel met a woman in September 2020 and convinced her to invest $100,000 in his company, which he misrepresented to her. Shortly after he received the money, he stopped communicating with the woman.
He also admitted in the plea deal to touching the breast of one woman and the buttocks of two different women in 2020 and 2021.
https://www.ksl.com/article/50678006/former-shark-tank-contestant-admits-to-defrauding-inappropriately-touching-multiple-women
What Led to Entrepreneur Nate Holzapfel’s Demise?
But when things really started to go wrong was 2019.
In 2019, Nate faced a lawsuit in federal court from Larry King. Allegedly, he used false pretenses to obtain a mock interview from Larry King before using the material to make it appear that he endorsed Nate’s commercial activities. The result was Nate losing the lawsuit for $250,000 plus legal fees.
His life went downhill from there. Facing serious debt from the lawsuit and other troubles, Nate spiraled, and by 2021, he was charged with multiple counts of communication fraud. One case against him included defrauding a romantic partner out of almost $200,000. Moreover, all this while he was still married.
To make matters worse, the woman has significant health problems and a disabled adult child. Nate coerced the woman into transferring her home into a company under his name. He then sold the home, barely gave her any of the proceeds, and proceeded to pay his debt and buy luxury goods with the rest of the money.
https://gritdaily.com/what-led-to-entrepreneur-nate-holzapfels-demise/
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