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Missoulian site developer charged with federal wire fraud 

An entrepreneur with ties to a proposed $100-million retail and condo project in Missoula has been charged with federal wire fraud.

U.S. attorneys in Utah say entrepreneur Aaron Wagner defrauded investors in his restaurant business, WagsCap Food Services, according to court documents. Investigators in an affidavit wrote that Wagner used $2 million from an investor intended to build a restaurant to instead buy a private plane.

Wagner made Montana headlines in 2021 when he and former Griz football player Cole Bergquist announced they had purchased the site of the former Missoulian newspaper building along the Clark Fork River. In its place they planned to build a complex with a hotel, shopping, condos, penthouses, and a two-story parking garage.

Wagner later apologized for leaving explicit comments online in response to criticisms of the proposal.

A spokesperson for the city of Missoula said the city hasn’t heard from the developers recently and has no permit applications for the property.

An attorney for Wagner did not respond to MTPR's request for comment. Montana Secretary of State business records listed one of Wagner’s companies as a member of the LLC that owns the former Missoulian site as of October 29th.

Austin graduated from the University of Montana’s journalism program in May 2022. He came to MTPR as an evening newscast intern that summer, and jumped at the chance to join full-time as the station’s morning voice in Fall 2022.

He is best reached by emailing austin.amestoy@umt.edu.
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