Kouri Richins, already accused of murdering her husband, now faces an additional 26 financial fraud charges that reveal a web of deceit, potentially totaling nearly $5 million in debt—all while she was writing a children’s book about grief.
Key Takeaways
- Kouri Richins faces 26 new felony charges, including mortgage fraud, money laundering, and forgery, while awaiting trial for allegedly poisoning her husband with fentanyl.
- Prosecutors allege she secretly obtained a $250,000 home equity loan on her husband’s premarital property using power of attorney, then led him to believe it was repaid.
- Her realty company was allegedly drowning in debt—$1.8 million on the day of her husband’s death, ballooning to nearly $5 million the following day.
- Her defense team claims the new charges highlight the weakness of the murder case and question the timing as jury selection begins.
- The murder trial is scheduled for February 2026, with prosecutors suggesting financial motives for the alleged killing.
A Tangled Web of Financial Deception
The case against Kouri Richins has taken a dramatic turn as prosecutors pile on 26 new felony charges related to alleged financial crimes. These charges include 5 counts of mortgage fraud, 7 counts of money laundering, 5 counts of forgery, 7 counts of issuing bad checks, 1 count of communications fraud, and 1 count of engaging in a pattern of unlawful activity. According to court documents, Richins allegedly used power of attorney to secure a $250,000 Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC) on her husband Eric’s premarital home without his knowledge, then used those funds to establish her real estate business, K. Richins Realty.
“used a power of attorney to obtain a $250,000 home equity line of credit on Eric Richins’ premarital home without his knowledge. … (She) used the proceeds from the HELOC to initially fund K. Richins Realty and hard money loans to finance its ongoing operations.” – Charging documents
A Business Built on Quicksand
The financial situation at K. Richins Realty appears to have been unsustainable from the start. Court documents reveal the business generated only $170,000 in revenue while accumulating monthly debts exceeding $250,000. Richins allegedly borrowed from more than 25 different lenders to keep her failing enterprise afloat. Despite this precarious financial position, she reportedly continued purchasing additional properties and was in the process of acquiring an unfinished mansion—a transaction scheduled to close the day after her husband’s death in March 2022.
“was a source of tension between Kouri and Eric Richins. (She) Informed Eric Richins that she would repay the loan and led Eric Richins to believe that she had repaid it. The HELOC was not paid off on the day of Eric Richins’ death,” – the charges
The Murder Case Connection
Prosecutors have drawn direct connections between the financial fraud charges and the murder case against Richins. They allege she poisoned her husband with fentanyl to gain access to his finances, believing she would be the beneficiary of his life insurance policy. However, Eric Richins had reportedly changed the beneficiary after discovering his wife’s financial deceptions a year before his death. On the day Eric died, the business allegedly owed $1.8 million, a figure that nearly tripled to $5 million the following day when the mansion purchase was completed.
Defense Claims Prosecutorial Desperation
Richins’ defense team has come out swinging against the new charges, suggesting they represent a desperate attempt by prosecutors to bolster a weak murder case. They have also questioned the timing of these additional charges, which come as the court works to seat an impartial jury in Summit County for the murder trial scheduled for February 2026. The defense portrays these new allegations as a tactical move rather than a pursuit of justice.
“This sudden push to file new fraud charges over two years later underscores the weakness of the State’s pending murder charges, since these fraud charges would not even come into play unless they fail to secure a conviction. The timing is also extremely troubling because the parties are trying to seat an impartial jury in Summit County,” said Richins’ attorneys
A Tale of Deception and Death
The Richins case has captured national attention not only for its allegations of murder but also for the macabre irony that Kouri authored a children’s book about grief following her husband’s death—the very death she’s now accused of causing. With nearly 30 felony charges now hanging over her head, the upcoming trial will need to unravel a complex web of alleged criminal activity spanning both personal violence and sophisticated financial fraud. As the judicial process unfolds, taxpayers will foot the bill for what promises to be a lengthy and expensive prosecution of a case that highlights the devastating intersection of greed, deception, and violence.
