Trial Set For Neb. Man Accused Of Securities Fraud

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — An April trial date has been set for a Nebraska man accused of luring elderly investors under false pretenses and using some of their money to buy luxury items.

An April 12 jury trial has been scheduled for Bryan Behrens. He was indicted last spring on 21 federal counts. He's charged with securities fraud, six counts of mail fraud, five counts of wire fraud and nine counts of money laundering.

Behrens, who founded the Omaha-based 21st Century Financial Group, has been accused of collecting more than $8 million from about 25 investors — many of them elderly.

Investigators say he used some of the money to pay off early investors and spent millions of dollars on luxury vehicles and other items.