States have taken the idea of the sex-offender registry and applied it to everything from kidnapping to animal abuse. Utah is expanding it into new territory: financial crime. An early version of the White Collar Crime Offender Registry includes more than 100 people convicted of tax, credit-card or insurance fraud; thefts from employers or friends; and bilking investors. The list makes Utah the most aggressive jurisdiction in the country when it comes to publicly shaming financial criminals. The Securities and Exchange Commission often shields which offenders haven’t paid sanctions. Utah lawmakers say their list, which is being administered by the state’s attorney general, will help protect investors by offering easy access to information about con artists. It could also create leverage to get felons to make their victims whole. Convicts who comply with court orders on time and pay restitution in full won’t appear on the list.
