Student Housing Developer Ran $76 Million Fraud, Investors Say

Nelson Partners LLC and investment firm Axonic Capital LLC schemed to allow Axonic to seize control of a student housing development financed by almost $76 million in investors’ equity that wasn’t returned, dozens of the investors say in a new suit.

Nelson Partners improperly put money intended for the project toward its next project in a Ponzi-like arrangement, which caused a shortfall in repaying bridge financing to Axonic, according to the complaint, filed Wednesday in the US District Court for the Central District of California.

Axonic then used an undisclosed contract clause to take over the project because of the ...