A Gordonville man is charged with scamming over 50 local investors of more than $700,000 by selling business shares that he did not invest, according to the Lancaster County district attorney's office.

William H. Brown, 50, is charged on two criminal dockets with eight felonies in regards to a pizza shop franchise and a doughnut shop that was never opened.

Brown sold shares in a pizza business, Fox's Pizza Dens of Lancaster County, LLC, to over 50 people and invested only a fraction of their payments, according to the district attorney's office.

The investors included nine elderly people. Brown targeted Amish and Mennonite investors, the district attorney's office said.

He was under a franchise agreement that did not authorize him to sell shares, according to the district attorney's office.

Among the eight charges, Brown faces three felonies for violating the Pennsylvania Securities Act. The charges related to selling the shares in the pizza franchise without telling investors he was not authorized to do so, according to the district attorney's office.

The district attorney's office said Brown is not a part of the ownership or operation of the Fox Pizza Den currently in Intercourse.

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“The business owners have given law enforcement their full cooperation and are not accused of any wrongdoing,” the district attorney's office said in a release.

Lancaster County Detective James Zahm, lead investigator, filed charges with approval from Assistant District Attorney Kevin McGarry.

Brown was charged May 11 with the pizza franchise thefts and arrested Tuesday. District Judge Raymond Sheller arraigned Brown Tuesday on those counts and set bail at $1 million.

Brown is also charged with entering into an agreement with an Ephrata woman who invested $50,000 for a 49-percent share of a doughnut shop that was supposed to open in the same building as the pizza shop.

Brown never opened the shop. He paid back the woman $1,000, according to the district attorney's office.

He was charged in January with two felonies, posted $50,000 bail and waived a preliminary hearing, according to court documents.

Individuals who had contact with Brown and believe they could be victims of criminal actions can contact their local police department or the district attorney’s office at 717-299-8100.