Two more people have been charged with wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering related to a tainted Minnetonka condominium project by St. Paul developer Jerry Trooien.

The U.S. attorney's office in Minneapolis on Thursday unsealed indictments against Joseph Steven Meyer, 46, of Eagan, and Garet Clark Wright, 32, of Rosemount, charging that the two participated in a kickback scheme to defraud mortgage lenders of more than $14 million in the Cloud 9 Sky Flats development.

The case has now ensnared at least five people. Three have pleaded guilty for their role in a crime ring that investigators say involved more than 40 Cloud 9 units during the real estate boom.

Trooien hasn't been charged and has denied courtroom accusations of involvement. Federal investigators raided headquarters of his JLT Group Inc. in February. Trooien, a once-prominent commercial real estate developer, exited Chapter 11 bankruptcy in August.

Attorneys for Meyer and Wright could not be reached Thursday. In an e-mail Trooien said he's worked with Meyer more than 20 years and considers him "as honest a man as I have ever known" and "the gold standard for integrity."

According to charges, between Dec. 1, 2006, and October 2007, Meyer and Wright found buyers to apply for mortgage loans to buy units in Cloud 9 and knew that each buyer would get a 25 to 30 percent kickback from the price reported to lender.

More than 40 condos were sold through the scheme, and more than 80 percent of loans have since defaulted, investigators said. About $4.2 million was laundered through accounts controlled by a co-conspirator and paid to participants in the crime, according to court filings.

Meyer and Wright face a potential of 20 years in prison for money laundering conspiracy as well as on each of the 22 counts of wire fraud. They also face up to five years in prison if convicted of conspiracy.

Meyer also faces a charge of witness tampering for allegedly trying to persuade Wright to provide false information to authorities. That charge carries a penalty of 20 years.

Jackie Crosby • 612-673-7335