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One of the victims of convicted Ogden conman Ryan Paul Davies said the loss of more than $100,000 brought him to the precipice.
"Thoughts of suicide was an everyday occurrence for me," Sean Hales told a federal judge at Davies' sentencing hearing Thursday. "One day it almost became a reality."
He saw his wife off to work and kids to school with a "final goodbye" but then didn't carry through on his plan.
"It's only by the grace of God I'm here today," Hales said.
Other victims denounced Davies as a predator and psychopath, an inveterate liar who wormed his way into friendship and trust only to take tens of thousands of dollars from them promising high returns that never materialized. When exposed, he threatened to kill one of the victims.
After hearing from victims, Davies and several of his family members, U.S. District Judge David Nuffer accepted a plea bargain worked out with prosecutors. He sent Davies, 36, to prison for two years followed by three years of probation. He also was ordered to repay $1.3 million.
Davies was indicted in June 2016 on 15 counts of wire fraud. He was accused of taking monies from investors who thought they were buying into franchises for elderly care businesses, for short-term bonds or helping him obtain $1 billion in financing from a philanthropist. Instead, Davies never put promised money into the franchises or bonds and he no relationship with the philanthropist. He used the money for a lifestyle that made him appear to be wealthy.
Davies pleaded guilty in February to one charge of wire fraud and the other charges were dismissed.
Davies also addressed Nuffer but turned around at least three times to speak to victims who had gathered in the courtroom for sentencing.
"I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry," he said one of those times.
Davies said he took responsibility for his actions and promised to reform himself. He said that he wanted to return to his old self who had honorably served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
"I want to be that self when I was on my mission," he said.
Davies attorney, Steven Killpack, said Davies had already paid $150,000 in restitution with monies from his family, pledged another $150,000 in insurance monies from a car wreck and that he would work in a business owned by his mother to pay back the rest.
Nuffer said he had sentenced other white collar criminals to longer sentences but he believed Davies was sincere in wanting to reform himself.
"White collar crimes create ripples across lives and across generations," he said.
Another man involved in the fraud, Nicolas Stevenson, was placed on three years of probation. He also was ordered to help pay a portion of the restitution.