SEC says $57 million spent on luxurious items and houses.
Iranian nationwide indicted for working darkish internet market Nemesis.
Over 400,000 orders processed utilizing solely cryptocurrency.
The US Securities and Trade Fee (SEC) has filed fees towards Ramil Palafox, a twin citizen of the US and the Philippines, accusing him of orchestrating a $198 million crypto funding fraud via his firm, PGI International.
The case highlights ongoing dangers in decentralised finance, the place traders proceed to fall prey to schemes promising assured income from unverified cryptocurrency and foreign exchange ventures.
Palafox allegedly ran a worldwide multi-level advertising and marketing operation from January 2020 to October 2021 earlier than the scheme collapsed, leaving traders with substantial losses.
SEC claims $57 million used for private spending
In keeping with the SEC’s submitting within the Japanese District of Virginia, Palafox offered PGI International as an AI-powered crypto and overseas change buying and selling platform.
Nonetheless, the regulator alleges there was no actual buying and selling exercise.
As a substitute, over $57 million in investor funds had been diverted to buy luxurious items and actual property for Palafox and his household.
The SEC’s criticism seeks the return of misappropriated funds, civil penalties, and a everlasting injunction to stop Palafox from working future schemes.
The construction of PGI International mirrored that of a basic Ponzi scheme, the place older traders had been paid returns utilizing capital from new entrants.
Working as an MLM enterprise, it expanded globally by providing recruitment-based commissions and falsely portraying Palafox as a seasoned crypto skilled.
Felony proceedings escalate with DOJ involvement
In parallel to the SEC’s civil criticism, the US Legal professional’s Workplace has filed felony fees towards Palafox.
Whereas particular fees haven’t been detailed within the SEC press launch, the Division of Justice is pursuing the case in federal court docket, indicating the opportunity of important penalties, together with imprisonment.
The proceedings mark one other chapter in US efforts to crack down on large-scale cryptocurrency fraud.
The SEC’s motion comes amid rising issues in regards to the misuse of crypto platforms to masks fraudulent exercise and bypass conventional monetary regulation.
Whereas some enforcement actions deal with platform compliance or token choices, this case highlights particular person accountability and the misuse of investor belief.
Iranian nationwide indicted in separate darkish internet case
In a associated growth, the US Division of Justice has indicted Behrouz Parsarad, an Iranian nationwide, for working a darkish internet market named Nemesis.
The positioning processed over 400,000 transactions between 2021 and 2024, dealing primarily in fentanyl, different managed substances, malware, and stolen monetary information.
Parsarad additionally allegedly used cryptocurrency to launder proceeds from these gross sales, concealing the origin of the funds and working completely in digital property.
Nemesis reportedly prohibited all transactions in fiat currencies, successfully forcing customers to make use of cryptocurrency to make sure anonymity.
If convicted, Parsarad faces a minimal jail sentence of 10 years and could possibly be sentenced to life.
His indictment follows a sequence of comparable crackdowns, together with the FBI’s current arrest of Anurag Pramod Murarka for laundering $24 million via the darkish internet.
The back-to-back developments involving Palafox and Parsarad show a widening web solid by US authorities to handle the twin risk of economic fraud and felony use of decentralised applied sciences.
With cryptocurrency use increasing throughout borders, regulatory our bodies are intensifying enforcement to discourage abuse, improve investor safety, and produce extra transparency to the ecosystem.
