美国联邦大陪审团对电影融资商Jason Cloth提起控诉，指控其实施涉及1亿美元的庞氏骗局[1]。起诉书已于周二在伊利诺伊州北部美国地区法院公开[1]。
Cloth被控7项电传欺诈罪，每项最高可判20年监禁[1]。他被指控通过加拿大公司Creative Wealth Media Finance Corp.以电影和视频游戏平台融资为名义，自2019年以来从伊利诺伊州一名投资顾问、其客户及其他投资者处募集超过1亿美元资金[1]。但这些募集的资金实际上被挪用于加拿大房地产开发项目和用以偿还早期投资者[1]。法院要求Cloth没收1200多万美元[1]。
此前，安大略证券委员会已于去年启动执法诉讼，指控Cloth及其公司从投资者筹集5亿美元，其中7000万美元被转移用于其他用途[1]。
Film financier Jason Cloth was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges related to an alleged $100 million Ponzi scheme centered on movie and video game platform financing[1]. The indictment was unsealed on Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois[1]. Cloth faces seven counts of wire fraud, each carrying a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and has been ordered to forfeit more than $12 million[1].
According to prosecutors, Cloth solicited funds from investors through his Canadian company, Creative Wealth Media Finance Corp., beginning in 2019[1]. He raised over $100 million from an Illinois investment advisor, the advisor's clients, and others, claiming the money would finance film and video game platforms[1]. Instead, Cloth allegedly diverted the funds to Canadian real estate development and to pay earlier investors in the scheme[1].
The case has drawn additional regulatory scrutiny beyond the federal indictment. The Ontario Securities Commission launched enforcement proceedings last year alleging that Cloth and his company raised $500 million from investors while moving $70 million to other purposes[1].