The state of Vermont is on trial as foreign EB-5 investors civil lawsuit is underway

The state of Vermont is on trial as foreign EB-5 investors’ civil lawsuit is underway, one of the last remaining legal threads in the Kingdom Con saga. The massive Ponzi scheme to rebuild Jay Peak, Burke Mountain, and the Newport area was fueled by $200 million in foreign investor money as part of the federal EB-5 green card program. There are more than two dozen plaintiffs involved in the case who say it’s the state’s fault for not catching the fraud sooner. Prosecutors say the state’s EB-5 center OK’d projects and were misled by ringleaders Bill Stenger and Ariel Quiros. The plaintiffs argue that state officials knew something was awry but failed to act. The trial is expected to last up to two weeks -and could include testimony from former Governor Peter Shumlin.