NBC Bay Area: 'Prolific fraudster' on the run after skipping sentencing in Santa Clara County
A serial scammer convicted in Santa Clara County of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from investors for a fake medical device is on the run.
Dennis Fountaine, 67, claimed to have invented a robot called "Homer" to distribute medication, promoting it and himself online. But there was no robot.
"He uses these fake websites to gain credibility with investors," Santa Clara County Deputy District Attorney Oanh Tran said.
Fountaine was later found guilty of scamming investors out of more than $350,000, and on the day of his sentencing, he disappeared.