After a three-year investigation, the first criminal charges have been filed in the state's EB-5 case.
Joop Bollen, the owner of the South Dakota Regional Center in Aberdeen, is now facing felony charges for misusing federal funds intended to recruit foreign investors for the EB-5 program for the Northern Beef Packers plant.
The investigation into the state's EB-5 program began in April of 2013, but before charges could be filed, Richard Benda with the South Dakota Department of Tourism and State Development died of suicide in October 13.
The investigations continued,...