A startup founder who is accused of defrauding an investor of $210,000 appeared briefly in federal court in San Francisco today, but a detention hearing for him was postponed until Wednesday at a lawyer’s request.
Jonathan Mills, 30, of San Francisco, who is known as Jon Mills, is the founder and the former executive director of Motionloft, a technology company that uses sensors to gather data on vehicle and pedestrian movements.
He is charged with one count of wire fraud for allegedly bilking a doctor of $210,000.
Mills, who had met the physician for a medical consultation, is alleged in an FBI affidavit to have falsely told him that Motionloft was about to be acquired by Cisco Systems Inc. of San Jose and that the purported investment would bring huge returns. The investor never received any funds, according to the affidavit.
Mills appeared today in red-and-white-striped Alameda County Jail clothing and has been in custody since being arrested by the FBI on Wednesday.
U.S. District Judge Elizabeth Laporte today postponed Mills’ detention hearing, which will determine whether he will be granted bail while awaiting trial, until Wednesday at the request of Assistant Federal Public Defender Candis Mitchell.
Mitchell told the magistrate there are “a few other questions to resolve.”
Julia Cheever, Bay City News
