Stephen Baird, the ex-CEO of a dental imaging firm who had an arrest warrant issued after he did not appear for his fraud sentencing trial, has been found dead, according to an updated news release from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). No additional details surrounding the cause of death were given.
As we reported earlier, Baird allegedly defrauded investors out of nearly $11 million by claiming to have developed an ultrasound device that could replace dental x-rays but which never existed.
Stephen Baird. Image courtesy of the U.S. Department of Justice.
Baird was due to appear for sentencing on October 25 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, but he skipped out on the hearing. Baird faced up to 20 years in prison for the fraud charges plus additional time for not appearing for the sentencing. U.S. District Judge Richard Jones issued an arrest warrant for Baird.
According to an article in The Seattle Times, prosecutors urged Jones to hand down a seven-year prison sentence on top of more than $10 million in restitution. Now, according to the DOJ, the U.S. Attorney's Office will dismiss the indictment due to Baird's death. However, they will continue to pursue all available financial remedies on behalf of Baird's victims.
We reported on his original indictment in February of 2023.
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