The Tokyo District Court has ordered officials of a Las Vegas investment firm to pay ¥680 million in damages over a ¥130 billion investment scam that targeted thousands of Japanese.

In handing down the ruling Monday, presiding Judge Saneyuki Yoshimura said that Junzo Suzuki, 68, who was responsible for MRI International Inc.'s office in Japan, his 67-year-old wife and their 39-year-old son, Paul Suzuki, fraudulently solicited funds.

The lawsuit was filed by 39 clients of MRI International, who argued that the three officials collected money even though they knew the company had no intention of using the funds for asset management.