The US Division of Justice introduced that Magdaleno Mendoza, a senior promoter of the cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme IcomTech, has been sentenced to 71 months in federal jail for his function within the fraud and for illegally reentering the USA after a number of deportations.
The sentence was imposed by US District Decide Paul G. Gardephe following Mendoza’s responsible plea in July to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and unlawful reentry.
IcomTech Ponzi Scheme
Based on the official assertion, Mendoza was among the many most influential promoters of IcomTech, a purported crypto mining and buying and selling enterprise that launched in mid-2018 and falsely promised buyers assured each day returns. In actuality, authorities stated, the corporate operated as a multi-level advertising Ponzi scheme that used funds from new buyers to pay earlier individuals and enrich its promoters, whereas conducting no respectable buying and selling or mining actions.
Mendoza, who had beforehand promoted different comparable schemes, performed a central function in recruiting victims, notably inside Spanish-speaking, working-class communities with little expertise in cryptocurrency investing. He and different promoters allegedly traveled throughout the USA. They hosted massive expos and small group conferences, the place they marketed IcomTech as a highway to “monetary freedom” and showcased luxurious vehicles, clothes, and existence to bolster credibility.
Prosecutors stated Mendoza personally hosted promotional occasions at his restaurant within the larger Los Angeles space and picked up hundreds of {dollars} in money from victims as supposed investments. Buyers got entry to on-line dashboards that displayed steadily rising “income,” however most have been unable to withdraw funds and in the end misplaced their total investments, whereas promoters siphoned off a whole lot of hundreds of {dollars} for private use.
Nugatory Tokens, Jail Sentences, and Deportations
As withdrawal complaints mounted, IcomTech launched a proprietary token often known as “Icoms,” which promoters claimed would acquire important worth. However authorities stated the tokens have been successfully nugatory and deepened investor losses.
By late 2019, IcomTech had stopped making funds and collapsed. The Justice Division additionally discovered that a number of of Mendoza’s co-conspirators, together with founder David Carmona and different senior figures, have already been convicted and sentenced in associated instances.
Prosecutors additionally stated that Mendoza had been dwelling in the USA illegally for many years whereas selling the scheme and had been deported or eliminated not less than 4 occasions, together with as soon as below a false id.
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