Tag: Florida Ponzi schemes
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FLORIDA — AGAIN: James Clements and Zeina Smidi Of Plantation Ran $30 Million Ponzi Scheme, SEC Says; Firm Claimed ‘Protected Jurisdiction’ Offshore; Defendants Already Face $50 Million Judgment From Class-Action Lawsuit
Two Florida residents have been accused by the SEC of operating a $30 million Ponzi and promissory-notes scheme that purported to trade foreign currency amid claims their domestic company was morphing into an “offshore” firm that would operate in a “protected jurisdiction.” The defendants in the case already face a judgment of $50 million from…
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OH, FLORIDA! Spectacular New Allegations Raised In George Theodule Ponzi Scheme; Bank Sued For $68 Million Amid Accusation It Funneled Investors’ Cash To Fraudster Through ‘Drive-Thru’ Window
The Miami Herald broke the story last night (see link at bottom of post) that Wells Fargo, which merged with Wachovia Bank in December 2008 and assumed its liabilities, has been sued for $68 million by the court-appointed receiver in the George Theodule Ponzi scheme in Florida. Theodule largely targeted the Haitian-American community in his…
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KABOOM! Florida — Again: Palm Beach Operators, Firms Charged With Running Scheme-Within-Scheme In Tom Petters’ Ponzi; More Than $1 Billion Plowed Into Rathole, SEC Says
EDITOR’S NOTE: The SEC has been particularly active in Florida in recent weeks. Now, the agency once again has gone to federal court to allege a spectacular fraud involving people and companies in the Sunshine State. This one involves more than $1 billion and is linked to the Tom Petters’ Ponzi case in Minnesota. Two…
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Nevin Shapiro, Florida Man Who Ran ‘Grocery’ Ponzi Scheme, Pleads Guilty; Feds Say Con Gathered At Least $880 Million While Fraudster Leased Mercedes For $4,700 A Month
When Nevin Shapiro was arrested in New Jersey for running a wholesale grocery scam in Florida, the FBI described the scheme as a “perfect example of greed run amok.†Shapiro, who was charged both criminally and civilly earlier this year after investigators uncovered his long-running Ponzi scheme, now has pleaded guilty to securities fraud and…
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BULLETIN: Charges Upgraded Against Nevin Shapiro In Alleged $880 Million Ponzi Scheme; Prosecutors Say He Used Investors’ Money To Make Illegal Sports Bets And Enjoy Lavish Lifestyle
Charges against a Florida man accused of running a Ponzi scheme through a bogus wholesale grocery business known as Capitol Investments USA Inc. have been upgraded, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman of the District of New Jersey said. Nevin J. Shapiro, 41, of Miami Beach, originally was charged via criminal complaint in April with one…
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BULLETIN: Another Ponzi Scheme In South Florida; SEC Alleges $28 Million Fraud Against Trade-LLC
A Florida company — Trade-LLC — and its operators have been accused of running a $28 million Ponzi scheme that fleeced members of three investment clubs. Named defendants by the SEC were Trade-LLC and its managing members, Philip W. Milton and William Center. The scam operated in the Palm Beach Gardens area, and affected more…
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NEWS/UPDATES: Feds Say $900 Million Nevin Shapiro Ponzi ‘Perfect Example Of Greed Run Amok’; Colorado Charges Bela Geczy, Michael Kass With Racketeering In Fraud Case
The acts of Nevin Shapiro — a Florida man arrested in New Jersey yesterday on charges of orchestrating a $900 million Ponzi scheme — represent a “perfect example of greed run amok,” an FBI agent said. Separately, a grand jury in Colorado has charged two men under the state’s organized-crime statute with operating an $18…