This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
2000
Marc Sessions Jenson and Mark Robbins attract millions from investors for Mongoose bicycle company.
2005
Aug. 10 • The Utah attorney general's office charges Jenson with selling unregistered securities and securities fraud.
2007
May 31 • Attorney General Mark Shurtleff emails prosecutors to push for a trial against Jenson: "When is Jensen [sic] set for trial? Can't be too soon as far as I'm concerned. I'm up to HERE with this guy and his goons!"
December • Shurtleff emails Scott Reed, head of the office's criminal division, and seeks to impose a plea agreement that's favorable to Jenson: "I'm sure this email will be viewed as a capitulation on my part. ... Please know I am not succumbing to bribes or threats."
2008
February • Tim Lawson emails Shurtleff with the latest plea Jenson proposal: "All I would like you to do, bro, is review this."
May 1 • Third District Judge Robin Reese refuses to accept plea deal, which did not include restitution to investors.
May 29 • Reese accepts a new plea deal, which includes $4.1 million in restitution to victims; Jenson enters pleas in abeyance.
2009
January • Colorado residents Jeffrey and Judee Donner, who had invested $1.5 million in Jenson's Mount Holly project, retain attorneys to try to get their money back; Lawson contacts the Donners to try to induce Jeffrey Donner to withhold testimony or information from a pending investigation, according to court documents.
Jan. 30 • From this date until Nov. 20, Jenson, while free under the plea deal, paid Lawson about $120,000 "to gain access to then-Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff and to influence, on Jenson's behalf, potential witnesses and/or anticipated civil litigation," according to court documents. The money came in 18 separate payments into two Lawson bank accounts. Lawson did not list that money as income on his tax returns.
March 11 • Robbins fails to appear for a court hearing and a warrant is issued for his arrest.
March 19 • After KSL runs a story on Robbins' disappearance, Lawson calls Darl McBride, who had invested $286,000 with Robbins. Lawson tells McBride he's phoning on behalf of Shurtleff and asks him to back off Robbins. After McBride put up a website seeking Robbins' whereabouts, court documents state, Lawson called again, bragging that he was like "Porter Rockwell" and he had "Polynesian friends" who like to "bust people up."
April 30 • Jenson pays Lawson $6,190 for a trip by Shurtleff and John Swallow (then in private practice) to Jenson's villa at the luxury Pelican Hill resort in Newport Beach, Calif.
May 5 • Shurtleff and Swallow stay at Pelican Hill (and make other visits through July). Receipts and witnesses say Jenson paid for lodging and other expenses such as massages, golf, food and clothes. Also present at least one of the times was Robbins, who was trying to put together development deals, including one known as Whitewater VII at the FrontRunner train station in Draper.
May 8 • Shurtleff meets with McBride at Mimi's Cafe, says he'll try to get him $2 million from Jenson if McBride drops his attacks on Robbins.
June 8 • Around this time, Shurtleff meets with Jenson at Pelican Hill and asks Jenson to give $2 million to Lawson so he could pay off Robbins. At the time, Jenson owed investors more than $4 million in restitution.
Sept. 23 • Reed emails Kirk Torgensen, a chief deputy attorney general, and asks if Shurtleff had been in California around Cinco de Mayo. The email refers to an investigation into Jenson's allegation that he had been defrauded by a partner in the Mount Holly resort: "This coincides with Mark's directive to put a bunch of Mounty [sic] Holly complaints on a fast track. … Mark put out those complaints on May 8, arguably after having his meeting with Jenson and Lawson and getting an earful about Mt. Holly."
Dec. 16 • Lawson leaves a message, according to court documents, threatening to expose supposedly illegal activities in Donner's medical practice to try to deter him from getting his money back from Jenson.
2010
March • Shurtleff's attitude toward Jenson sours and, in an email to Reed, he demands an update. Reed messages Torgensen: "Where's this sudden interest coming from?" Torgensen replies: "Swallow advised him to cover you-know-what." Reed responds: What does Swallow know? Weird."
March 2 • Torgensen sends an email to Swallow, by then chief deputy for civil matters, expressing concern that "Lawson is the guy that is going to bring the house of cards down."
2011
June • Shurtleff and Swallow agree to be walled off from the Jenson case in the attorney general's office.
Nov. 3 • Reese orders Jenson to prison for failure to pay restitution.
2012
Nov. 6 • Swallow is elected attorney general.
2013
March 4 • Lawson gives Torgensen false information about his affairs, according to court documents.
Aug. 27 • Lawson also allegedly provides false information to FBI agents.
April 2009 to September 2013 • More than 680 calls or text messages take place between Lawson and Swallow.
Thursday • Lawson is arrested on six felony charges.