The Ponzi Scheme Blog: December 2019

Kathy Bazoian Phelps
Senior Counsel in Ponzi Scheme Litigation
and Bankruptcy Matters

Kathy is a senior business trial attorney with more than 30 years experience prosecuting and defending claims for high net worth clients involved in Ponzi scheme matters and in bankruptcy proceedings. Kathy’s practice includes recovering assets for clients in complex fraud cases under standard fee and alternative fee arrangements. She also handles SEC and CFTC whistleblower claims. Kathy also serves as a mediator in bankruptcy matters, in complex business disputes, and in matters requiring detailed knowledge about fraud or Ponzi schemes.

Kathy’s Clients in Ponzi Scheme Cases and Bankruptcy Matters
Equity Receivers
Bankruptcy Trustees
High Net Worth Investors
Whistleblowers
Debtors in Bankruptcy
Secured and Unsecured Creditors

Tuesday, December 31, 2019

December 2019 Ponzi Scheme Roundup

Posted by Kathy Bazoian Phelps

Below is a summary of the activity reported for December 2019. The reported stories reflect at least 7 new Ponzi schemes worldwide; at least 4 guilty pleas and convictions, over 34 years of newly imposed sentences for people involved in Ponzi schemes; and an average age of approximately 51 for the alleged Ponzi schemers. Please feel free to post comments about these or other Ponzi schemes that I may have missed.

Matthew Brent Goettsche, 37, Iovadiah Sinclair Weeks, 38, and Joseph Franks Abel, 49, were charged in connection with an alleged high-tech Ponzi scheme run through BitClub Network. A fourth man, Silviu Catalin Balaci, was arrested in Germany in connection with the scheme. The scheme defrauded investors out of $722 million and took funds from investors to purportedly purchase shares of cryptocurrency mining pools. Internal chat messages intercepted by authorities state that the internal business model was built “on the back s of idiots” by targeting the “typical dumb MLM investor” who will convince other “morons” to join.

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Kathy has significant experience with the issues arising in Ponzi scheme cases, and in tracing and recovering assets in complex fraud cases. She has represented all types of parties in Ponzi scheme cases, including investors, defendants in litigation, trustees, and receivers. She has extensive litigation experience in a wide variety of bankruptcy litigation matters, representing operating and liquidating trustees, debtors, and secured and unsecured creditors. Kathy also serves as a mediator in bankruptcy matters, in other complex disputes, and in other matters requiring an expert on fraud or Ponzi schemes.

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