A convicted Ponzi schemer, whose prison sentence President Donald J. Trump commuted in one of his last official White House acts, is facing new fraud federal charges of bilking investors in a series of phony deals.
The man, Eliyahu Weinstein, a former used car salesman from Lakewood, N.J., was serving a 24-year sentence in connection with two schemes, when Mr. Trump freed him from prison in January 2021.
One involved defrauding members of his tight-knit Orthodox Jewish community out of more than $200 million.
On Wednesday, federal prosecutors in New Jersey charged Mr. Weinstein, 48, along with four other men, with defrauding at least 150 people out of $35 million.
“These were brazen and sophisticated crimes that involved multiple conspirators and drew right from Weinstein’s playbook of fraud,” Philip R. Sellinger, the U.S. attorney for New Jersey, said at a news conference.
Persons:
Donald J, Trump, Eliyahu Weinstein, Weinstein, Philip R
Organizations:
White
Locations:
Lakewood , N.J, New Jersey, Covid, Ukraine, U.S