So when Wright, who lives in Spokane, wanted to pump up her returns on $200,000 in retirement savings, she turned over her money to the Mowens, who lived in Lindon in Utah County. "He was supposed to be a financial wizard," Wright said.

But Mowen, she claims, turned out to be clever only at making her money disappear.

Jeffrey Mowen was arrested on Wednesday and charged with two second-degree felonies and faces up to 30 years in jail for allegedly taking Wright's retirement savings and spending it on himself. Elizabeth Ward Mowen was not arrested but could face fines and other penalties, according to the Utah Division of Securities. Neither could immediately be reached for comment.

Wright's dilemma illustrates a disturbingly common - yet preventable - type of white-collar crime, said Wayne Klein, director of the Utah Securities Division. "Affinity" fraud involves scammers who create a bond and level of trust with their victims as a neighbor, church member, co-worker or business associate. The victims, in turn, fail to do adequate investigation before handing over their money for some type of investment or business purpose.

"We believed if you know somebody for many years, that you can trust them," said Wright's husband, John Charleston.

Even though they knew and trusted the Mowens, Wright and Charleston should have called the Utah Securities Division to see if Jeffrey Mowen was licensed as an investment adviser or securities broker, or both, before trusting him with their money, Klein said.

The division will run a background check on behalf of consumers who want to check out a potential money manager, Klein said.

Had Wright requested such a check, the division would have told her about Jeffrey Mowen's three prior criminal convictions involving white-collar crime and one dozen civil lawsuits that he has lost in recent years resulting in judgements of about $78,000, Klein said.

Wright's dilemma began in April 2005, when she began working with the Mowens on a new networking marketing company. She had worked with and been cordial with the Mowens through another company since 2000, corresponding mainly through phone, e-mail and a few visits to Utah.

Over the years, Elizabeth Mowen touted her husband's supposed business and investment successes to Wright. By last year, Jeffrey Mowen had offered to invest on Wright's behalf so she could earn stellar returns, Wright said.

In July 2005, Wright said she withdrew $200,000 from her individual retirement account and sent it to the Mowens.

The Utah Division of Securities alleged that of the $200,000 he was supposed to invest, they have discovered that Mowen used $100,000 to repay a former disgruntled investor, made $29,289 in cash withdrawals, paid $15,891 in credit card bills, spent $12,270 on food and entertainment and $4,290 on automobile expenses and blew another $4,600 on travel and home-related expenses.

Wright said she has a hard time thinking about it.

"This was my retirement money," she said, in tears. "This is emotionally devastating."

lesley@sltrib.com