Posted by Kathy Bazoian Phelps
Below is a summary of the activity reported for August 2020. The reported stories reflect at least 9 new Ponzi schemes worldwide, 2 guilty pleas, 55 years of prison sentences, and an average age of approximately 56 for the alleged Ponzi schemers. Please feel free to post comments about these or other Ponzi schemes that I may have missed.
Clarence Dean Alford, 67, was charged by the SEC for allegedly defrauding investors in a Ponzi scheme run through Allied Energy Services, LLC. The scheme involved at least 100 investors out of about $23 million, promising them returns of 12% to 34% from investments in energy projects.
Banana.Fund was accused of running a cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme by authorities who filed a forfeiture lawsuit. Authorities seized 482 Bitcoin and over $1.72 million. The fund was supposedly a crowdfunding project that would incubate startups by attracting Bitcoin from investors in exchange for shares in the business. Banana.Fund is believed to be operated by British National, Richard Matthew John O’Neill aka Jo Cook.
Victor Lee Farias, 47, of Texas, was accused by the SEC of running a Ponzi scheme. Farias allegedly told investors that their money would be used to purchase aircraft engines and other parts that would then be leased or resold to major airlines. He promised returns of 10% to 12%.
William Neil “Doc” Gallagher, 79, was sentenced to 25 years in prison and ordered to pay more than $10 million in connection with a Ponzi scheme that promised annual returns of 5% to almost 9% to people who invested in securities with him. Gallagher had a Christian radio show called “The Money Physician.” The scheme brought in about $29.2 million from about 60 investors.
Dennis Mbongeni Jali, 35, Arley Ray Johnson, 61, and John Frimpong, 40, were charged by the CFTC with running a $27 million Ponzi scheme through 1st Million LLC, Smart Partners LLC and Access to Assets LLC. The complaint alleges that they fraudulently solicited investors to trade in foreign currency and digital assets such as bitcoin. There are 1,200 investors who believed they held “secure contracts” promising their funds would be held in escrow or trust. The SEC also charged the Maryland-based companies this month. The scheme guaranteed monthly or quarterly returns of around 6% to 42%.
Scott A. Kohn, 65, and Joseph Hipp had more criminal charges filed against them in connection with a $450 million Ponzi scheme run through Future Income Payments LLC. Melanie Jo Schulze-Miller was also charged in connection with the scheme. Initial charges were filed in 2019 in connection with the nationwide scheme that defrauded pension holders and investors.
Jason Kurland, 46, a lawyer from New York, was charged in connection with an alleged Ponzi scheme involving lottery earnings. Kurland calls himself a “lottery lawyer” and promised jackpot winners that he would invest their winnings. Instead, he put their cash into investments run by reputed Genovese crime family soldier Christopher Chierchio, 52. Kurland allegedly received kickbacks for steering the money to Chierchio and his partners. It is believed that $107 million was skimmed from the scam.
Robert J. Jesenik, 61, Brian K. Rice, 54, Nelson Scott Gillis, 67, and Andrew N. MacRitchie, 56, were charged on fraud and money laundering charges in connection with the scheme run through Aequitas Management LLC and related entities. They solicited investments in notes and funds, many of which were purportedly backed by trade receivables in education, health care, transportation and other consumer credit areas.
Peter Madoff, 74, the younger brother of Bernard Madoff, was released from home confinement after having served about nine years of his sentence. Peter Madoff had pleaded guilty to falsifying documents and lying to regulators as part of the Ponzi scheme, and he was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Bernard Madoff, 82, is still serving his 150-year prison sentence.
Anthony Wayne March, of North Carolina, pleaded guilty to charges that he ran a $8.1 million. The scheme was run through Asset Trader and defrauded at least 22 victims. The scheme was to invest in charitable gift annuities and other products, but March instead use the funds to pay for a lavish lifestyle, including a jet, a yacht and property in the Bahamas.
Rodney Scott Phelps, 58, of Kentucky, was sentenced to 9 years in prison and ordered to pay more than $2.4 million in restitution in connection with a Ponzi scheme run with co-defendant, Jason Castenir. The scheme defrauded 13 victims through a fake investment scheme run through Maverick Asset Management LLC. The scheme promised returns from a supposed opportunity to obtain an oil concession from the government of Belize.
Ariel Quiros, 64, of Florida, pleaded guilty to charges related to the Jay Peak and Burke Mountain ski resorts in Vermont. Quiros and three others were indicted over an investment scheme that brought in $200 million in foreign investors’ money through the EB-5 visa program that allows individuals to obtain a green card and permanent residency in the U.S. The plea agreement provides that Quiros will be sentenced after William Stenger and William Kelly are sentenced, if convicted.
Mark Colin Ramsey, 50, of North Carolina, was sentenced to more than 5 years in prison and ordered to pay close to $1.1 million in restitution for running a fraudulent scheme through at least six different companies, including Hypertrend and Good Living. Investors were given fake investment agreements, fabricated stock certificates, and were guaranteed returns on their investments.
Benjamin Reynolds remains missing, but the CFTC is nevertheless seeking a judgment of about $500 million again him for his role in the alleged Ponzi scheme run through Control-Finance. The CFTC alleges that Reynolds laundered 22,858 Bitcoin worth about $147 million at that time, and that he defrauded about 1,000 customers.
Glyn W. Richards, 56, of New Jersey, was denied his request to be released from prison due to COVID-19 concerns. Richards stole more than $5.8 million in a Ponzi scheme and was sentenced to 30 years in prison. He had falsely claimed to have defense contracts in Iraq with a trucking firm, All Freight Logistics Inc.
Philip Elvin Riehl, 68, of Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 10 years in prison and ordered to pay more than $59 million in restitution. Riehl defrauded his accounting clients and diverted funds to Trickling Springs Creamery LLC, which he owned. The scheme defrauded members of the Mennonite and Amish religious communities.
Pablo Renato Rodriguez, Gutemberg Dos Santos, Scott Hughes, Cecilia Millan and Jackie Aguilar were arrested in connection with a scheme run through Airbit. Airbit was a global cryptocurrency-based Ponzi scheme that was sold as a multi-level marketing club. Victims were told they would earn passive, guaranteed daily returns on any membership purchased.
Dale Tenhulzen, 61, of Wyoming, was charged by the SEC with running a Ponzi scheme through Live Wealthy Institute. The scheme sold about $15 million of unregistered securities in real estate investment funds managed by Equialt LLC.
INTERNATIONAL PONZI SCHEME NEWS
Australia
Graeme Walter Miller was sentenced to 6 years in prison in connection with a $2 million scheme run through CFS Private Wealth Pty Ltd. Miller pleaded guilty to misappropriating $1.865 million of client funds when he served as a financial adviser.
Michael Gu, founder of iProsperity Capital Management Pty Ltd., fled the country amid allegations that he ran a $60 million Ponzi scheme. Reports reveal that $30 million was transferred to Landerer & Company, run by lawyer John Landerer.
Canada
Todd Norman John Bezzasso was ordered to pay $6.3 million in connection with a Ponzi scheme run through Bezzazz Holdings Group Ltd. and Nexus Global Trading Ltd. The scheme raised approximately $5 million from 85 investors. Wei Kai Liao acted as a dealer and advisor and referred 27 investors to the scheme.
Glenda Esteves, 45, and Teddy Lee Esteves, 44, were charged in connection with a Ponzi scheme called Project Cosmo that took in $3.5 million from investors. The scheme targeted the Filipino community. They used companies such as Mac Glamour Ltd., Infy Trading Inc., and B + E Investments to recruit victims into the scheme.
Vernon Fauth, 73, was charged with fraud in connection with an alleged multimillion Ponzi scheme through Espoir Capital. Fauth was banned from the securities industry last year and paid $2.6 million in disgorgement along with other costs. Investor funds were loaned to Fauth and his family members and businesses, including Fauth Financial.
China
Authorities arrested over 100 suspects in connection with the PlusToken cryptocurrency scheme. The scheme promised 9% to 18% returns and defrauded victims out of $5.7 billion.
Guyana
Cuban national Yuri Garcia Dominguez, 34, and Ateeka Ishmael, 32, were arrested in connection with an alleged Ponzi scheme run through Accelerated Capital Firm Inc.
Singapore
Authorities warned that the investment program known as Building Our Success Stories Network, or BOSS Network, may be a fraudulent Ponzi scheme. The scheme solicits investments from a multi-level marketing program for personal care products.
Zimbabwe
Bevern Capital Private Limited closed its doors and authorities allege that the company was running a $2 million Ponzi scheme. Richard Samunda, a director of the company, was arrested, but Bevern Dzinoenda and Ambrose Chikukwa are still at large.
Phenias Fungai Kamba was charged in connection with an alleged Ponzi scheme run through Kuwait Dinair Digital Marketing that defrauded 22 investors out of $5 million.
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