Marcus Schrenker (born November 22, 1970)is a financial manager known for attempting to fake his own death and the multi-state three day manhunt that followed.
In January 2008, The Indiana Department of Insurance filed a complaint against Schrenker on behalf of seven investors who claim he neglected to inform them that they would face high fees if they switched annuities, which subsequently cost them roughly $250,000. On December 31, 2008, Schrenker's Indiana state financial adviser's license expired and authorities from Indiana Secretary of State Todd Rokita's Securities Division raided his home in search of evidence of securities violations. On January 6, 2009, Schrenker was charged in Hamilton County, Indiana with unlawful acts by a compensated adviser and unlawful transaction by an investment adviser, and his bail was set at $4 million. On January 9, he lost $533,500 in a federal court ruling in Maryland against one of his companies.
In addition to Schrenker's mounting business problems, Schrenker's wife of 13 years, Michelle, filed for divorce on December 30, 2008. The following day, she told the authorities searching their home that her husband had been having an affair. A press release from her lawyers claims that she had no idea about Schrenker's financial dealings, and their split was solely a result of his infidelities.
In all, at least eight lawsuits were filed against Schrenker in the ten years leading up to his arrest, including slander, interfering with a business relationship, and failing to pay a contractor who worked on one of his homes. There is speculation that Schrenker's accumulated personal and business problems may have caused his attempt to fake his own death.