Posted by Kathy Bazoian Phelps
Below is a summary of the activity reported for November 2021. The reported stories reflect at least 3 new Ponzi schemes worldwide, 1 guilty plea, more than 116 years of prison sentences, and an average age of approximately 45 for the alleged Ponzi schemers. Please feel free to post comments about these or other Ponzi schemes that I may have missed.
Erez Baver, 41, of Illinois, pleaded guilty to charges relating to a Ponzi scheme that defrauded at least 75 investors out of at least $22 million. The scheme targeted the Orthodox Jewish community and was run through FNR Healthcare, along with Zvi Feiner. Feiner created FNR to supposedly buy and sell assisted living communities and nursing homes.
Joseph W. Bayliss, 46, was sentenced to three years in prison and ordered to pay about $481 million in restitution for his role in the DC Solar Ponzi scheme. Bayliss played a key role in covering up the fact that no new generators were being built as he shuffled vehicle identification numbers between generators, and he destroyed at least 1,000 identification stickers.
Robert Blom, 59, of South Dakota, was sentenced to 91 months in prison and ordered to pay $24 million in restitution in connection with a cattle Ponzi scheme. The scheme involved 30,000 fake cows and $24 million in lost funds. Blom resold the same cattle to multiple investors and falsified invoices.
David Oscar Braeger, 54, of Wisconsin, was indicted on charges that he ran two separate schemes that fraudulent obtained over $5.5 million from his victims. Braeger mispresented the status and value of his customers’ investments to conceal that funds had been stolen. Customers were provided with fake quarterly statements which showed that their funds were invested in Rubicon, when in reality that company had been closed and liquidated.
Jeff Carpoff, 50, was sentenced to 30 years in prison and ordered to pay $790.6 million in restitution in connection with a Ponzi scheme run through DC Solar. The scheme defrauded victims out of about $1 billion in connection with a business that made solar generators to provide emergency power for cellphone companies or to provide lighting at sporting and other events. Carpoff’s wife, Paulette Carpoff, 47, faces up to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty. Co-conspirators Robert A. Karmann, 54, Ronald J. Roach, 54, Joseph W. Bayliss, 46, Ryan Guidry, 44, and Alan Hansen, 50, all pleaded guilty in separate indictments.
Natalie Cochran, 40, currently serving an 11-year prison sentence for running a Ponzi scheme, was indicted for first degree murder of her husband, Michael Cochran.
William Neil “Doc” Gallagher, 80, of Texas, was sentenced to three life sentences in prison in connection with a Ponzi scheme that he ran through Gallaher Financial Group and W. Neil Gallagher, Ph.D. Agency. Gallagher advertised on Christian radio that he was selling securities. He defrauded at least 30 victims out of $32 million. He offered investors “guaranteed, risk-free returns” of 5% to 8% annually. He pleaded guilty in 2020 and was sentenced to 20 years in prison in Dallas County and was then indicted in Tarrant County.
Joshua Matthew Houchins, 38, of North Carolina, was sentenced to 10 years in prison in connection with a Ponzi scheme that defrauded investors out of $1.5 million. Houchins had pleaded guilty to a real estate scheme which he ran through shell companies. He destroyed is computer when facing a subpoena in 2018.
Adam Joiner, 43, of California, was sentenced to more than 8 years in prison and ordered to pay $14 million in restitution after pleading guilty to charges relating to a Ponzi scheme involving foreign investors and a supposed agreement with Netflix. Joiner persuaded investors to pay $14 million to fund a film written by his brother and told investors that Netflix had agreed to distribute the film.
Stephen P. LeProhon, 32, was sentenced to more than 12 years in prison in connection with a scheme that defrauded 20 customers of his Industrial Boulevard boat consignment business.
John Piccarreto, Jr., 38, of New York, was sentenced to 84 months in prison and ordered to pay almost $20 million in restitution for his role in a Ponzi scheme that defrauded hundreds of investors. Piccarreto conspired with Perry Santillo, Christopher Parris and others in the scheme run through Lucian Development.
James A. Seijas was barred by FINRA from the industry for his role in the alleged $30 million-plus cryptocurrency investment scheme. In a lawsuit filed in Florida, Seijas was accused along with Quan Tran and Michael Ackerman for running a Ponzi scheme called Q31. The scheme promised returns of 15%, but only about $10 million of the funds were actually invested.
Matthew Preston Taylor, 44, was sentenced to 17 years in prison in connection with charges that he operated a scheme through his business, Savage Yachts LLC, that caused losses more than $1.5 million.
INTERNATIONAL PONZI SCHEME NEWS
Australia
Tony Iervasi and Athan Papoulias were charged in connection with an alleged Ponzi scheme. They are accused of defrauding around 590 investors who paid over $196 million into the scheme. Iervasi was the sole director and shareholder of Courtenay House Pty Ltd. and Courtenay House Capital Trading Group Pty Ltd.
China
Authorities confiscated crypto assets worth $62.5 million in connection with an alleged Ponzi scheme run through Filecoin miner IPFSUnion. Chinese police have arrested 31 people in connection with the alleged scheme. IPFSUnion released a statement saying that those arrested in the case had procured equipment through illegal means.
India
Police arrested Raghavendra, Nagaraju and Shivamurthy in connection with a chain-link investing model rung through a firm named FOMOEX. The scheme promised 20% returns and offered a commission for bringing in new investors.
Karthika, 32, and Prabhu, 30, were sentenced to 10 years in prison for defrauding 99 investors in a chicken farm scheme run through Healthy Poultry Farms India Pvt Ltd. The scheme promised investors country chicks and other incentives.
Nigeria
Francis Uju Adoms was declared wanted by authorities in connection with an alleged Ponzi scheme that defrauded investors out of N52 million. Adoms ran the scheme through Addy Finance & Investment Limited, registered under the Fund Managers Association of Nigeria.
Russia
Fugitives of Finiko are suspected of removing 750 bitcoin from a cryptocurrency wallet worth about $48 million. Zygmunt Zygmuntovich, Marat Sabirov, and Edward Sabirov, who are associates of the scheme’s founder Kirill Doronin, fled Russian as the crypto investment scheme collapsed earlier this year.
Singapore
Jaya Rethinasamy Ghandi, 54, was sentenced to 25 months in prison in connection with a $700,000 Ponzi scheme
Thailand
MBC Club was shut down and the principal arrested for a scheme that defrauded thousands of victims and caused 1 billion Baht in damages. Victims were promised large profits from foreign exchange market trading. MBC promised 40% average monthly returns and a year-end bonus of a Porsche luxury sports car.
Turkey
Faith Aydin was extradited to Turkey. Aydin and her brother, Mehmet Aydin, are founders of Ciftlik Bank (Farm Bank) and are accused of running a $110 million Ponzi scheme that defrauded more than 132,000 people.
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