Plea deal derailed for Rick Dugo in serial scammer case in north suburbs

WAUKEGAN, Ill. (CBS)  -- The CBS 2 Investigators have been following a serial scammer case for more than a year, and on Tuesday morning in a Lake County, Illinois, courtroom, the victims' search for justice was supposed to come to an end.

But as CBS 2 Investigator Dorothy Tucker reported Tuesday night, a last-minute hiccup derailed a plea deal.

Last year, when Tucker told Ricky Dugo she had talked to numerous people who reported being scammed by him, he responded, "It's a lie."

But Dugo has faced more than one indictment, and at the Lake County Courthouse in Waukegan Tuesday, he stood before a judge.

Upstairs on the inside Courtroom 612, Dugo was supposed to accept a deal from the state In exchange for a guilty plea. Prosecutors didn't say how long Dugo would get, but part of the deal included restitution - money Dugo would give the court to repay the victims.

But there was no deal Tuesday, because Dugo didn't have all the money. Prosecutors didn't reveal the total amount, but a portion wasn't good enough close the case.

The charges against Dugo includes 12 counts of money laundering, conspiracy to commit financial crimes, theft, and deception. It stems from an accusation of stealing close to $1 million from four different people.

The biggest loser was Tim Donovan.

"He's a complete fake," Donovan said last year. "He's a phony. He's a scammer."

And there were numerous scams. Dugo convinced Donovan to invest in big money-making ventures - to sell cars, appliances.

But the scheme that made Donovan wipe out his 401(k) and drain his children's college fund was a chance to build a car wash - not just any car wash, but a car wash in the Trump Tower parking garage.

Donovan said last year that his first reaction was: "Wow, this is great. This is it."

It was anything but great, with total losses amounting to $769,000.

"He's a monster," Donovan said of Dugo last year. "He really is."

The crimes in the cases against Dugo date to 2013. The charges connected to the three other victims involve selling electronics, Rolex watches, furniture, motorcycles, and bad bank loans.

In a recording obtained by the CBS 2 Investigators, an angry victim begged Dugo to repay the money. 

"I just want my money back, Rick," he told Dugo. "How do I get my money back?"

"I know what you gave me. You know what you gave me. It's yours. I'm giving it back to you," Dugo was heard telling him. "When I say ASAP, ASAP is in a month."

But that never happened. None of the victims ever saw a dime. Now they want justice.

"I want him to do a lot of time for this," Donovan said.

Dugo is back in court next month. If he doesn't come up with all the restitution money by then, prosecutors indicated the deal is off the table.

Without a deal, Dugo may have to take his chances at a trial.