Trial Starts for PurchasePro Founder
LEXINGTON NATIVE JOHNSON ACCUSED OF CONSPIRACY, FRAUD IN INFLATING REVENUES
WASHINGTON - Lexington native Charles E. "Junior" Johnson is set to go on trial today in federal court in Alexandria, Va., for his role in the boom, then bust, of PurchasePro.com, one of the darlings of the dot-com market.
In the late 1990s, Johnson was hailed as a hero for making $200 million for Kentuckians who invested in his Las Vegas company. He gave millions to his hometown. But after the company he founded went bankrupt in September 2002, many investors lost big bucks.
In January 2005, Johnson, a tall, blond Kentuckian turned tech tycoon, was indicted by a federal grand jury on criminal conspiracy and fraud charges. He has pleaded not guilty and has remained free on a $100,000 bond. In the past, he has blamed rogue employees and said the Justice Department pursued him as part of a political agenda.
