related to the purchase of property in Utah, for a total of four criminal charges against Milton. The Securities and Exchange Commission has also charged Milton with civil securities fraud.
The criminal trial is set to start with jury selection on Monday, Sept. 12 in New York. Milton has been out on bail after paying a $100 million bond last summer. Milton has not pleaded guilty and maintains his innocence. Milton founded Nikola Corp. back in 2015 and garnered immense fame for the budding company, thanks in part to his social media boosterism.
In its original complaint, the government said Milton “engaged in a fraudulent scheme to deceive retail investors about Nikola’s products, technical advancements and commercial prospects for his own personal benefit in violation of the federal securities laws.”