Missing pilot faces lawsuits, divorce & fraud investigation

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — An Indiana pilot who authorities say jumped out of a private small airplane while flying over Alabama also faces lawsuits filed in Indiana and Maryland, a pending divorce from his wife, and is being investigated for securities fraud by the Indiana Secretary of State Office, according to a report from NBC 13 HD’s Indianapolis sister station WTHR-TV.

Authorities in Childersburg, Ala., believe that 38-year-old Marcus “Marc” Schrenker parachuted out of a plane that flew over Alabama and later crashed in a Florida swamp Sunday night.

Childersburg Police told NBC 13 HD News that a man approached an officer saying that he was involved in a canoeing accident. Officers drove Schrenker to the Harpersville Motel, where investigators say he checked in under a different name and then later fled.

NBC 13 HD News background research on the Indiana pilot reveals that Marcus Schrenker is a 38-year-old financial planner. Schrenker operates an Indianapolis located private wealth management investment group called Icon Wealth Management Inc. or “Icon Group.”

Schrenker is also a previous owner of the now closed Heritage Wealth Management, which is also a private company in Indianapolis.

According to NBC 13 HD’s sister station WTHR-TV, The Indiana Secretary of State Office is investigating Schrenker’s investment company “Icon Group” for securities fraud.

As for pending lawsuits, NBC 13 HD News found one Indiana and one Maryland lawsuit against Schrenker’s old company, Heritage Wealth Management. The Maryland lawsuit was filed by OM Financial Life Company of Baltimore and states that the company seeks more than $230,000 from Schrenker for “Unjust Enrichment.“  In the latest lawsuit, Kansas Company Creative Marketing International is suing Schrenker for “Breach of Contract” and losses incurred from doing business with Schrenker.

Additional notes on Schrenker’s life according to WTHR-TV: Schrenker is currently going through a divorce. Divorce filings were entered in Indiana court records on January 6, 2009. Schrenker is believed to have military experience and is trained in special operations. Schrenker’s “YouTube” Internet Web site indicates that he is an avid acrobatic pilot.

Stay with NBC 13 HD News and nbc13.com for the latest on this developing story.