Articles Tagged with Robert Shapiro

Ex-Woodbridge Group of Companies CEO and owner Robert Shapiro and former Woodbridge directors Ivan Acevedo and Dane R. Roseman are now facing criminal charges over their alleged involvement in operating a $1.2B Ponzi scam that went on from ’12 to ’17. All three men were arrested and appeared in federal court last week.

Woodbridge and its 281 related companies are accused of defrauding over 8,400 retail investors, including many senior investors who lost retirement money as a result. According to the US Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) 2017 complaint against Shapiro, Woodbridge, and the related companies, investors were promised yearly returns of up to 5 to 8%. Payments were supposedly from the interest paid to an affiliate on loans issued to third party borrowers. However, contends the SEC, there were not enough third-party borrowers to pay the thousands of investors involved, resulting in just under $14M in interest income. Newer investors’ funds were allegedly used to pay earlier investors.

Woodbridge and the companies settled the regulator’s case last year by agreeing to pay over $1B, including disgorging $892M in ill-gotten gains. Shapiro’s settlement involved a $100M penalty and disgorgement of $18.5M plus $2.1M in prejudgment interest. Now, with the criminal case, Shapiro is charged with tax evasion and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

A federal court has ordered the Woodbridge Group of Companies and its former CEO and owner Robert H. Shapiro to pay $1B in disgorgement and penalties for allegedly running a $1.2B Ponzi scam that victimized 8,400 retail investors, including many senior investors who ended up losing their retirement money. Of this $1B, Woodbridge and its 281 related companies must pay $892M in disgorgement. Shapiro must disgorge $18.5M in ill-gotten gains, as well as pay $2.1 in prejudgment interest and a $100M civil penalty.

In 2017, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed charges against Woodbridge, which it called a “group of unregistered investment companies,” and other defendants. The regulator contends that Woodbridge claimed that its main business was to issue loans to third-party commercial property owners. The defendant allegedly promised investors 5-10% in interest yearly. The company’s marketing materials touted an “over 90% renewal rate” from investors because of “proven results.”

The SEC said that the reality was that most of these supposed third-party borrowers were, in fact, companies that Shapiro owned. They purportedly made no income and did not pay interest on any of these supposed loans.

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