Trial Set in Wellington Fraud Case

Morris D. English Jr., former president of a now-defunct South Bay investment firm, will stand trial July 17 on eight misdemeanor charges of grand theft and writing bad checks.

English, who has pleaded not guilty, told a judge in South Bay Municipal Court in Torrance on Monday that he will represent himself. The case was brought by Torrance city prosecutors after two investors of English’s company, the Wellington Group, told Torrance police that they had been unable to recover their money from English.

Last week, authorities said the Securities and Exchange Commission has joined other federal and state agencies in investigating the Wellington Group for possible securities fraud. Authorities said the company may owe up to $50 million to an estimated 1,500 investors and borrowers.