A Warrensburg man is accused of pretending to be an inventor to get people to invest in his products.

Michael Conner, 55, pretended to hold patents to a knife with a heated blade and a rotatable refrigerator shelf, investigators said.

Starting in 2008, he convinced people to give him money as an investment to help him market and sell the products, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

He allegedly stole $4 million since 2008.
He is also accused of not filing taxes.

He could face up to 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 if convicted on the wire fraud charges.

If convicted on the tax charges, he could face up to a year in jail, and a fine of $100,000.