LOGAN — A former medical salon owner has been arrested and charged with allegedly borrowing thousands of dollars but then failing to repay lenders, according to law enforcement. Megan Hayes, 29, is also accused of organizing several charity drives for local foundations but then keeping the money for her North Logan company, Ascent Aesthetics, which is now permanently closed.
Hayes was arraigned Monday in Logan’s 1st District Court. She was charged with 54 felonies, including communications fraud, issuing bad checks, theft, securities fraud, and a pattern of unlawful activity. She already was charged with several federal cases and tax liens as previously reported.
According to an affidavit of probable cause, Cache County Sheriff’s deputies were contacted in Sept. 2023. The complainant described multiple instances of fraud and theft at the salon, purchased by Hayes and her husband, Skyler Hayes, in April 2022.
Deputies uncovered multiple instances where Hayes purchased equipment on credit and took out loans, totaling around $890,770. In most cases, the lenders were never repaid or only received partial payments after repeated attempts to collect.
Evidence showed Hayes allegedly used salon equipment as collateral for some of the loans, even though the equipment was owned by a bank. In other instances, she blamed her inability to make creditor payments on banking errors or her husband suffering a medical emergency, the PC Statement detailed.
Deputies noted that during the time Hayes was failing to repay creditors, she was posting photos on social media of her and Skyler at numerous sporting events, concerts, expensive restaurants, and luxury stores. Financial records subpoenaed from the company showed in 2022 and 2023, the salon spent $111,296 on travel, $76,607 on airfare, and $19,396 on hotels.
Hayes also allegedly advertised several holiday fundraisers on social media in 2021 and 2022. She asked people to send her donations for CAPSA and The Cache Community Food Pantry in exchange for discounts on skin treatments. Bank statements showed the suspect collected around $2,500 but never gave the money to the charities, according to the charging documents.
On Aug. 12, 2023, Hayes sent a text message to employees, telling them she planned to sell the business. The message stated, “I could not keep up with the growth and got so upside down, and lied repeatedly to try to cover it all up and buy time.”
Hayes has hired an attorney, and is scheduled to appear again before a judge Dec. 8. She is currently out of jail, while the criminal case proceeds through the court, and could face more than 15 years in prison, if convicted.
Individuals arrested and charged in complaints are presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.