Former owner of Wildwood Industries dies in prison

Posted on August 21, 2015

By Adam Studzinski

BLOOMINGTON – Gary Wilder, a Bloomington man who was convicted five years ago in a $220 million Ponzi scheme, has died while serving time in federal prison.

The 73-year-old was sentenced in 2010 to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to fraud and money laundering. The financial scheme brought down the Bloomington business Wildwood Industries.

Wilder and his wife, Toni Jo Wilder, and several employees admitted to providing false information to obtain leases for equipment which didn’t exist at the business.

Gary died Tuesday in North Carolina. His wife is serving a seven year federal prison sentence in Kentucky.

Adam Studzinski can be reached at [email protected].

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