LOGAN — A former medical salon owner has admitted to borrowing thousands of dollars but then failing to repay lenders. Megan Hayes, 29, also organized several charity drives for local foundations but then kept the money for her North Logan company, Ascent Aesthetics, which is now permanently closed.
According to court records, Hayes appeared March 9 in Logan’s 1st District Court. She accepted a plea deal, pleading guilty to a pattern unlawful activity, communications fraud, securities fraud, issuing bad checks, all amended to second-degree felonies. As part of the agreement 50 remaining charges were dismissed.
According to prosecutors, 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 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.
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 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 she collected around $2,500 but never gave the money to the charities.
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 is currently out of jail, and scheduled to be sentenced May 1. She also has been charged with several federal cases and tax liens.