SALT LAKE CITY — A Cedar Hills man who served time in federal prison for his conviction in a real estate investment fraud scheme, is facing new criminal charges accusing him of running a construction company that collected money up front but never completed the work.
Patrick Merrill Brody, 57, was charged Tuesday in 3rd District Court with eight counts of communications fraud and engaging in a pattern of unlawful activity, second-degree felonies.
In December of 2020, Brody approached a contractor about a partnership.
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“Brody wanted to list his company under the contractor’s … contracting license with the state of Utah so that they could do bigger jobs with the proper qualifications.” The man eventually “agreed to allow Brody to use his license to pull permits” in exchange for a monthly fee. The contractor was never involved directly in any of the projects that Brody’s company, Cornerstone, undertook, according to charging documents.
Brody, however, failed to tell the contractor “that he had previously been convicted of federal felony fraud charges,” the charges state.
In 2013, Brody pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering in U.S. District Court in Salt Lake City and was later sentenced to 3 1/2 years in federal prison.
In his new business venture, investigators say Brody set up a bank account with the contractor as a signor to issue checks from, and brought in a third party as another signor, allegedly to prevent fraud.
“Brody failed to tell (the contractor) that this other signor was Brody’s mother,” the charges allege.
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Prosecutors say Brody’s company signed clients for home improvement projects and demanded a 60% down payment up front.
“After the client paid the 60%, Cornerstone employees would sometimes start some work at the clients’ home, usually consisting of prep work. The work would then slow down and stop entirely. Cornerstone would frequently ask for more payment to get things going again and no work would be completed. Often, after the initial payment, work would never commence on the projects. Brody would often make false statements, or omit material information, to sign on clients,” according to the charging documents.
The following jobs are among those where Brody collected more than $200,000 but never finished, according to the charges:
In February 2021, Cornerstone took $12,000 from a man wanting his basement remodeled in order to hold a spot in the company’s “busy work schedule.” The work was never completed.
In April 2021, a man made a down payment of nearly $59,000 for a detached garage to be built, but no work was ever done and no materials ever delivered.
In May 2021, a man paid nearly $7,900 to have a bathroom remodeled. After no work was done for months, Cornerstone employees eventually showed up and did demolition on the old bathroom, but no materials or supplies were ever delivered for the new bathroom.
In July 2021, a man paid a $40,000 deposit, but “no work was ever done on the project.”
In August 2021, a woman paid nearly $9,200 for a home improvement project, but no work was done.
Also in August 2021, a man made a $50,000 deposit for a home improvement project. The work was never completed and Brody falsely told the man that his contractor was actually the owner of Cornerstone.
In September 2021, a woman made a $36,000 deposit for a home remodel project, but no work was ever done.
In total, prosecutors say Cornerstone signed about 25 clients between December 2020 and October 2021.
“All these clients paid deposits and Cornerstone either failed to do any work on the projects, or started some amount of work but then failed to complete the projects,” the charges state. “Ultimately, investigation shows that some of the money from clients was used for legitimate business purposes like advertising and payroll. However, a large amount of the checks from the clients would be deposited into various accounts related to Cornerstone and other companies controlled by Brody.
“Then, the money would be moved into other accounts and Brody would convert the money to personal use, not leaving money to complete the projects Cornerstone contracted to perform,” the court documents state.
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Pat Reavy is a longtime police and courts reporter. He joined the KSL.com team in 2021, after many years of reporting at the Deseret News and KSL NewsRadio before that.
Barrett Hayton did not have a concrete answer for Utah Hockey Club’s lackluster second period.
“I don’t know. We’re going to have to sit down and talk about it. I think we have to figure out what causes that,” the forward said. “The mentality we have to figure out.”
It was Hayton’s third-period goal that pulled Utah within one after allowing the Dallas Stars to take a 3-1 lead in the middle frame. However, the attempted comeback was too little too late and the Stars took the two oh-so-valuable divisional points in a 3-2 win at Delta Center Monday night.
“We’re neck and neck [in the standings] with these guys. That’s a game we really needed and wanted,” Nick Bjugstad said. “Tried to fight back in the third, but that’s a good team. Can’t take a period off. That’s kind of what we did in the second.”
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(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Dallas Stars left wing Mason Marchment (27) vies for the puck with Utah Hockey Club defenseman Olli Maatta (2) and Utah Hockey Club center Barrett Hayton (27) during the first period of the NHL game at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Monday, Dec. 23, 2024.
The Stars took a 1-0 lead midway through the first period with a goal from Colin Blackwell. Following a Utah turnover in the neutral zone, the Dallas forward broke out off the rush and sniped it past Karel Vejmelka from the right side.
Kevin Stenlund tied things 1-1 for Utah just over a minute later with his fifth goal of the month and sixth of the season. The veteran forward earned net-front positioning and tipped Ian Cole’s blast from the point in at 12:41.
The back-to-back fatigue became evident in the second period for Utah. The team looked disjointed and slow and it cost it.
“It’s a veteran team on the other side who weathered the storm in the first period,” head coach André Tourigny said. “Then they got us where they wanted us and we didn’t play particularly well at that.”
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(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Hockey Club goaltender Karel Vejmelka (70) and defenseman Vladislav Kolyachonok (52) react to a goal from the Dallas Stars during the first period of the NHL game at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Monday, Dec. 23, 2024.
Dallas took advantage of its fresh legs by creating frequent odd-man situations simply by beating Utah to the puck.
That is how Roope Hintz’s goal unfolded. He and Mavrik Bourque blew past Stenlund and Michael Kesselring at Utah’s defensive blueline ahead of a give-and-go sequence which found Hintz uncovered in front. He wristed it in for the 2-1 advantage at 12:39.
Jamie Benn’s tally at 17:50 closely resembled the same play. Wyatt Johnston looped the puck behind the net before hitting a wide-open, net-front Benn who unleashed a one-timer to make it 3-1 heading into the third period.
“I think that second period is the learning lesson, obviously. We knew coming into this game it’s a four-point game, division game. Those matchups are huge,” Hayton said. “We’re all pissed off about it and disappointed and frustrated in ourselves. That’s a big game and sucks for it to go that way.”
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(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Dallas Stars center Wyatt Johnston (53) prepares to shoot as Utah Hockey Club left wing Matias Maccelli (63) defends during the second period of the NHL game at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Monday, Dec. 23, 2024.
Utah’s power play — which had been on a seven-game conversion streak — could barely string passes together and did not establish a cycle in the two chances it was given through 40 minutes. The third line of Bjugstad, Lawson Crouse and Matias Maccelli, however, had noticeable jump at the start of the night as it tried to get its production going.
“When you’re not scoring as a line you try to figure out what to do. But for us it’s just simplifying,” Bjugstad said. “Just have to find a way to score. That’s kind of all I’ve got on that front.”
Hayton’s goal came at 11:39 of the final stanza and gave his team just under nine minutes to hunt for an equalizer it ultimately did not find. After Utah won an offensive-zone faceoff, Hayton got between the hash marks and deflected in Nick Schmaltz’s shot from the left side for the 3-2 scoreline and his second goal in two games.
Clayton Keller picked up the secondary assist on the play which extended his point streak to five games — he’s had 10 points through that stretch.
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“Proud of the effort of the guys,” Tourigny said. “Proud of the pushback we had. We all talk about the second period which is totally true and fair, but in the third period we had a hell of a pushback and the guys never quit.”
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Hockey Club celebrate a goal against the Dallas Stars during the first period of the NHL game at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Monday, Dec. 23, 2024.
Utah will now have three NHL-mandated days off for the holidays before returning to Delta Center on Friday to host the Colorado Avalanche — another Central Division opponent.
Despite Utah’s two-game losing streak, the team remains confident about its overall play in December and the position it has put them in heading into the new year.
“It’s on us. They pushed, but we have to understand that’s game management,” Bjugstad said. “We’ve got to learn, we’ve got to move on. I think this team has a lot of upside so we want to fulfill that.”
The Utah Hockey Club’s last two regulation losses have now come at the hands of the Dallas Stars following Monday night’s 3-2 loss at home.
An insufficient effort in the second period was Utah HC’s demise. Outside of that, it was as evenly matched as any game.
“I think that second period’s a learning lesson, honestly,” said Utah center Barrett Hayton. “I thought we did a great job in the first period. We were urgent, we were intense, we were on the ball, playing the right way. You just can’t afford those lapses against good teams, and that’s what our second period was.”
A late push from Utah yielded some close calls, but sports fans know “close” doesn’t cut it.
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How this works
This is a three-part article geared toward three different audiences.
First, we’ll have “Utah hockey for dummies” for all you new hockey fans. Welcome, by the way — we’re glad you’ve taken an interest in the greatest sport in the world.
Next, we’ll have a section titled “Utah hockey for casual fans,” aimed at those who have a basic understanding of the sport.
Finally, we’ll have “Utah hockey for nerds.” That will be for those of you who, like me, think about nothing but hockey all day, every day.
Feedback is welcome, so let me know what you think in the comments of this article or the comments section on “X.”
Utah Hockey for dummies
Hayton seems to have found his scoring touch once again.
Until this week, the 24-year-old who centers Utah’s top line hadn’t scored since Oct. 30. Now, he has a pair of goals in as many games. It’s his second time scoring in bunches this year, as he scored in each of the team’s first three games and again in its fifth game.
He told the media after the game Monday that there’s not much rhyme or reason to his streaks.
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“I think you’ll score and produce when you’re playing well and playing the right way,” he said. “It all comes full circle like that, so I don’t know. It’s just coincidence.”
Regardless of whether the puck goes in the net or not, Hayton has played an immaculate defensive game this year, which has opened his linemates up for offensive success.
Clayton Keller, who plays on Hayton’s left wing, has scored more than a point per game this year. Nick Schmaltz, his other winger, is just below a point per game.
Interesting note: There’s a discrepancy as to how many points Hayton now has in his career. The team is celebrating his goal as his 100th point, but NHL.com says it’s only his 99th, with the same number of games played, goals and assists.
HockeyDB and most of the other sites agree that it’s number 100. I’m not good enough at math to figure out who’s right. Someone add it up and let me know in the comments.
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Utah Hockey for casual fans
Although Utah HC managed just 26 shots Monday, Stars goaltender Casey DeSmith was the story of the game. He plays at the top of his crease, which is especially effective when facing shots from medium and close distances. It earned him the honor of first star of the game.
Time and time again, Utah would create plenty of open space, make a great play and put a solid shot on net, only to have it go straight to the crest of DeSmith’s jersey.
“There weren’t many holes on him,” said Utah center Nick Bjugstad. “There were some good chances on our end, but I still feel like traffic and making it a little harder on him would have been beneficial for us.”
Utah Hockey for nerds
The fatigue of a back-to-back affects teams more than we probably think it does. In this, the second game in as many nights for Utah HC, they got much-needed energy from the third line: Bjugstad, Lawson Crouse and Matias Maccelli.
All night long, that line created chances out of thin air. They seemed to have the chemistry together that earned them all the best or second-best point totals of their careers last year.
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One example came midway through the first period Monday. Bjugstad was streaking down the left wing but was forced to the outside by the Stars’ defender.
Rather than trying to beat him with speed, Bjugstad threw on the brakes and sent a spinning backhand pass straight to the stick of Crouse.
DeSmith matched him with a perfectly positioned save, but the play gave Utah a jolt of energy.
Then on the first shift of the second period, they had a similar high-energy rush. It was not by coincidence that Utah head coach Andre Tourigny selected his highest-paced line to set the tone for the second.
These are the kinds of things that third lines are typically responsible for, in addition to chipping in a goal once every two or three games. They’re really struggling to do that second part, but they showed on Monday that they can do the first thing.
“When you’re not scoring as a line, you try to figure out what to do,” Bjugstad said. “For us, it’s just simplifying.”
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What’s next?
There will be three silent nights for Utah HC — and the rest of the NHL — before getting back into action on Friday as they host the Colorado Avalanche.
It’s the third and final match this season between the two teams. They’re both 1-1-0 against each other so the season series is on the line.
It’s a big game in the sense that both teams are competing for one of the same five playoff spots, so every point matters. It’s a good chance for one team to gain the edge over the other.
Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon is as hot as ever right now, with 16 points in his last seven games. With that in mind, it shouldn’t surprise you that he has a five-point lead in the NHL points race.
The game starts at 7:30 p.m. It will be broadcast nationally, meaning it won’t be available on the normal channels. Instead, it’s on ESPN2.
SALT LAKE CITY — For the second year in a row, the Utah High School Girls’ Goalball team has won the national championship. The competition took place this year at the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind in St. Augustine, Florida. In the final round, the Utah team beat the West Virginia team by 9 to 1.
Utah player Reese Branch was named the tournament’s MVP. Because she was one of the top six girl goalball players, she made it to the All-American Goalball Team, as did her teammate Kelsey Kartchner.
Truly a Utah team
Utah’s girls’ goalball team members come from all over the state. They include Branch from Tremonton, Kartchner from Smithfield, Julie Jenson from Pleasant Grove, and Kalinka Brown from Clearfield.
And while that makes them a great representative of the state, the distance can interfere with their training as a team.
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“We can’t get together like every day, like a lot of high school teams. So we practice usually once a week in Midvale.”
Then, like a lot of workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, the athletes train on their own, at home.
“It’s a lot of like finding your own time to work out, and then obviously, our amazing coaches help us so much,” Branch said.
The Utah Foundation for the Blind and Visually Impaired manages the team. Rachel Jepson and Jalayne Engberg coach the team. Jepson is a former Utah goalball player. Engberg is a teacher and mobility instructor in the Alpine School District.
What is goalball?
According to the Utah School for the Deaf and Blind, Goalball was a rehabilitation tool that originated after World War II in Germany. It’s played on an indoor court with a ball that has bells in it.
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“There are three people on each side of the court,” Branch told KSL NewsRadio.
“You’re blindfolded, and the goal is to throw the ball into the opposing team’s goal. You block it with your body and then stand up and throw.”
Utah boys’ goalball
The Utah High School Boy’s Team got to the tournament’s quarterfinals before they were eliminated. Their team includes Kelton Health, Greer Merrill, Caleb Rice, and Luke Sorenson.