Federal indictments have been unsealed and two men who operated businesses in Brentwood have been charged with financial crimes.

While there is no connection between the two businesses, the results are the same in that Middle Tennessee residents have been bilked out of hard-earned cash, according to the charges filed by the U.S. Attorney's Office of Middle Tennessee.

Aaron Vallett, the sole owner of A.D. Vallett & Co., has been charged with mail fraud, wire fraud and Employee Retirement Income Security Act fraud. The government is also seeking restitution of approximately $5 million.

According to the charges, Vallett operated a Ponzi scheme and used monies clients invested with his financial services firm to pay for a new home, several vehicles, office rent, payroll, his personal country club dues, and even more than $300,000 to the Nashville Predators for the right to market himself as the team's exclusive investment services provider.

The second case involves William Weaver, formerly the owner operator of the Brentwood based W.G. Weaver Title and a manager for Chicago-based R.R. Donnelly prior to that.

Documents filed by the government allege that Weaver first began his criminal activity in September of 2005 while working as the manager for R.R. Donnelly's tax group. There, they allege that he created a shell company that supposedly provided tax consulting to Donnelly's Nashville office.

In reality, the tax consulting firm was a post office box owned by Weaver to which Donnelly's Chicago office would send checks that had been approved by none other than Weaver.

In 2007, Weaver left R.R. Donnelly and opened up W.G. Weaver Title. The government alleges that he defrauded clients there by converting refinanced mortgage loans for his personal use instead of paying off the old loan. The government is seeking restitution of a little more than $2.5 million.

To see the Vallett indictment, click here. To see the Weaver indictment, click here. Both cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ty Howard.