KNOXVILLE — It seems the fate of accused Gatlinburg swindler Dennis Bolze may already be sealed, with a hearing scheduled for 11 a.m. Tuesday in U.S. District Court on a plea agreement related to the felony charges facing him.

Bolze previously pleaded innocent to the money laundering and wire fraud charges against him, but his attorney has requested the hearing to allow him to change that plea, according to court documents. Though there were previous indications Bolze may be looking to strike a deal with the state, the announcement of the court session seems to be the most concrete evidence yet the man who allegedly stole millions of dollars from his clients may be ready to admit guilt.

Details of what a potential plea deal may look like are not yet available, with lawyers typically guarding that information pretty closely until the actual court hearing. During the session, any agreement that has been struck will be presented to the judge who will decide on whether the terms meet the required punishments for any crimes Bolze does plead guilty to.

If there is a deal, it’s likely Bolze won’t be admitting to the felony charges for money laundering and wire fraud he stands accused of.

In a filing entered late Thursday, the government prosecutors avowed, as is required by law, that they have given their “‘best efforts” to see the victims of the criminal offenses alleged in the indictment have been notified of, and afforded the rights described in (the law).”

The filing, which is a standard boilerplate document, doesn’t say much new, though it reveals that the federal investigation into Bolze’s alleged Ponzi scheme revealed a total of 116 victims. Bolze is believed to have taken more than $20 million from them over several years of running two investment firms out of his Campbell Lead Road home in Gatlinburg.

According to the indictment against him, which was filed in March, Bolze was taking money from new investors he recruited to make payments to existing clients, all the time showing a consistent profit of around 10 percent even in down years. He kept part of all the money he received to finance a lavish lifestyle that involved a palatial mountainside estate and large parties, the court filings state.

The problem arose when he stopped making payments to his investors and his checks started bouncing. That’s when, with the economy collapsing late last year, folks started demanding all their money back and Bolze couldn’t pay up. He fled town in mid-December and was arrested in Pennsylvania in March.

While Tuesday may bring the end of the criminal proceedings against Bolze, it seems likely civil and bankruptcy actions related to his case will continue for some time. The court has yet to decide who will get the proceeds from the sale of Bolze’s home, which sits as he left it with a three-story Christmas tree still standing in the front window.

dhodges@themountainpress.com