December 2020 Ponzi Scheme Roundup

Posted by Kathy Bazoian Phelps 

Below is a summary of the activity reported for December 2020. The reported stories reflect at least  3 new Ponzi schemes worldwide, 3 guilty pleas, over 30 years of prison sentences and one life sentence, 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.  

Sanjeev Acharya, of California, and his company SiliconSage Builders LLC aka Silicon Sage Builders, were charged by the SEC with running an alleged $119.2 million Ponzi scheme. The scheme promised returns to investors of 23% per year. Silicon Sage financed real estate projects in northern California by selling promissory notes and membership interests in entities that loaned money to the projects. The scheme targeted the South Asian community in northern California.

November 2020 Ponzi Scheme Roundup

Posted by Kathy Bazoian Phelps

Below is a summary of the activity reported for November 2020. The reported stories reflect at least 9 new Ponzi schemes worldwide, 1 guilty plea, over 34 years of prison sentences, and an average age of approximately 60 for the alleged Ponzi schemers. Please feel free to post comments about these or other Ponzi schemes that I may have missed.  

Joseph S. Anile II, 56, was sentenced to 10 years and prison and ordered to pay $3.2 million in restitution in connection with the Oasis International Group Ponzi scheme that defrauded investors out of $72 million. The scheme involved foreign exchange trading that defrauded at least 700 investors. 

October 2020 Ponzi Scheme Roundup

Posted by Kathy Bazoian Phelps 

Below is a summary of the activity reported for October 2020. The reported stories reflect at least 9 new Ponzi schemes worldwide, 6 guilty pleas, 202 years of prison sentences, 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.   

Steven F. Brown, 52, an accountant in California, agreed to plead guilty to charges that he ran a $3.3 million Ponzi scheme that promised investors returns from foreign exchange currency. Brown ran the scheme through Alpha Trade Analytics Inc. and promised investors monthly returns of around 10%.

September 2020 Ponzi Scheme Roundup

Posted by Kathy Bazoian Phelps 

Below is a summary of the activity reported for September 2020. The reported stories reflect at least 11 new Ponzi schemes worldwide, 4 guilty pleas, 31 years of prison sentences, and an average age of approximately 59 for the alleged Ponzi schemers. Please feel free to post comments about these or other Ponzi schemes that I may have missed.   

Joseph Frank Abel, 50, of California, pleaded guilty to charges in connection with a cryptocurrency mining fraud that involved at least $722 million. Abel admitted that he sold unregistered securities for BitClub Network. Matthew Brent Goettsche, Russ Albert Medlin, Jobadiah Sinclair Weeks were also charged in connection with the scheme. 

August 2020 Ponzi Scheme Roundup

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.

July 2020 Ponzi Scheme Roundup

Posted by Kathy Bazoian Phelps

Below is a summary of the activity reported for July 2020. The reported stories reflect at least 10 new Ponzi schemes worldwide, 5 guilty pleas, 95 years of prison sentences, and an average age of approximately 54 for the alleged Ponzi schemers. Please feel free to post comments about these or other Ponzi schemes that I may have missed.

   

Gregory Altieri, 53, the president of LNA Associates, was charged in New York with running a Ponzi scheme that took in between $75 million and $85 million from more than 80 investors. Altieri promised investors a 30% to 70% return within months from nonexistence wholesale jewelry deals where he would supposedly buy jewelry at closeout prices and resell it at a high profit.

June 2020 Ponzi Scheme Roundup

Posted by Kathy Bazoian Phelps 

Below is a summary of the activity reported for June 2020. The reported stories reflect at least 8 new Ponzi schemes worldwide and an average age of approximately 55 for the alleged Ponzi schemers. Please feel free to post comments about these or other Ponzi schemes that I may have missed.

Timothy J. Allcott, 58, and Thomas D. Renison, were charged in connection with an alleged Ponzi scheme run through ARO Equity LLC. In a parallel proceeding commenced by the SEC, it was alleged that Allcott and Renison raised more than $6 million from at least 15 investors, promising interest payments between 8% and 12% per year.

May 2020 Ponzi Scheme Roundup

Posted by Kathy Bazoian Phelps

Below is a summary of the activity reported for May 2020. The reported stories reflect at least 5 new Ponzi schemes worldwide; at least 2 guilty pleas and convictions; and an average age of approximately 59 for the alleged Ponzi schemers. Please feel free to post comments about these or other Ponzi schemes that I may have missed.

   

Neil Burkholz, 82, and Frank Bianco, 70, of Florida, were ordered to pay $2.8 million in disgorgement and penalties in connection with a $6 million Ponzi scheme run through Palm Financial Management and Shore Management Systems. The scheme defrauded at least 55 investors and targeted elderly investors.

April 2020 Ponzi Scheme Roundup

Posted by Kathy Bazoian Phelps

Below is a summary of the activity reported for April 2020. The reported stories reflect at least 5 new Ponzi schemes worldwide; at least 3 guilty pleas and convictions; new prison sentences of 39 years; and an average age of approximately 59 for the alleged Ponzi schemers. Please feel free to post comments about these or other Ponzi schemes that I may have missed.

   

Blessing Loom, an alleged Ponzi scheme, has resurfaced in Utah. The scheme, promoted on social media, displays an octagon that must be filled with names of participants. It promises that if the investor pays $100 to get a spot and recruits other people, then the investor name makes it to the center of the octagon, and will be paid $800.

March 2020 Ponzi Scheme Roundup

Posted by Kathy Bazoian Phelps

Below is a summary of the activity reported for March 2020. The reported stories reflect at least 7 new Ponzi schemes worldwide; at least 4 guilty pleas and convictions; and an average age of approximately 53 for the alleged Ponzi schemers. Please feel free to post comments about these or other Ponzi schemes that I may have missed.

   

Stacey L. Beane, 35, Justin N. Deckert, 30, and Travis Laska, 26, were accused by the SEC of helping to hide a Ponzi scheme run through VisonQuest Wealth Management LLC. The three were employees of VisionQuest and are accused of assisting in a fraudulent offering of $10.1 million in promissory notes. Stephen C. Peters was the owner and principle of VisionQuest, and he also owned VisionQuest Capital LLC and VQ Wealth LLC.

Should Bernie Madoff go free?

Bernie Madoff, currently serving his 150-year prison term, is seeking a compassionate release due to what is described as terminal kidney failure and less than 18 months to live. We are interested in your views on whether Madoff should be released after having served 11 of the 150 year sentence.  Click the link below to express your views on the following poll:

February 2020 Ponzi Scheme Roundup

Posted by Kathy Bazoian Phelps

Below is a summary of the activity reported for February 2020. The reported stories reflect at least 5 new Ponzi schemes worldwide; at least 5 guilty pleas and convictions; over 19 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.

January 2020 Ponzi Scheme Roundup

Below is a summary of the activity reported for January 2020. The reported stories reflect at least 5 new Ponzi schemes worldwide; at least 5 guilty pleas and convictions, over 24 years of newly imposed sentences for people involved in Ponzi schemes; and an average age of approximately 52 for the alleged Ponzi schemers. Please feel free to post comments about these or other Ponzi schemes that I may have missed.

   

Malik Akbar’El aka Tyrone David Williams aka Skipper David Williams, 52, of Arkansas, was accused of running a Ponzi scheme. He ran the alleged scheme through Akbar Williams & Associates Legal Services Corporation and promised 300% to 480% returns from supposed investments in charities and organizations that would generate a profit. He allegedly defrauded 252 investors.