According to always well-informed FinanceFeeds, the U.S. Government is seeking a heavy prison sentence for Blake Kantor, who has pleaded guilty to charges of wire fraud in the context of his binary options and cryptocurrency scheme. The binary options “Trial and Sentencing Season 2019” evidently has been opened. Further sentencings and trials are scheduled later 2019 in the binary options fraud around Lee Elbaz and Yukom Communication.
The Blue Bit Banc Indictment
In April 2018, the U.S. attorneys filed an indictment charging Blake Kantor for running a fraudulent binary options scheme between March 2014 and November 2017. In the context of the fraud scheme Kantor knowingly and intentionally conspired
to devise a scheme and artifice to defraud the Investors, and to obtain money and property from them, by means of materially false and fraudulent pretenses, representations and promises, and for the purpose of executing such scheme and artifice, transmit and cause to be transmitted, by means of wire communication
On May 13, 2019, the U.S. prosecutors filed a Sentencing Memorandum with the respective New York Court. The sentencing is scheduled for May 30, 2019.
Kantor defrauded investors to enrich himself and then tried to cover his tracks by lying to the federal agents investigating the scheme.
U. S. Attorney Donoghue (Press release Nov 19, 2018)
Blake Kantor (aka Bill Gordon), a resident of New York, operated a binary options scheme known as Blue Bit Banc via Blue Bit Analytics Ltd (“BBB”). He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. As part of his plea agreement, Kantor admitted to obstructing an investigation into his fraudulent scheme.
According to the U.S. prosecutors, Kantor and others operated the binary options and crypto fraud scheme for nearly three years and stole approximately $1.5 million from hundreds of investors from across the United States. Blue Bit Banc sold binary options and promised to pay customers a predetermined profit.
Kantor evidently joined the crypto hype in 2017. Between September 2017 and November 2017, he and his co-conspirators marketed the cryptocurrency ATM COIN (“ATMC”). In furtherance of the scheme to defraud, Kantor ATMC investors that the ATMC was worth substantial amounts of money.
In truth and in fact, however, as KANTOR then and there well knew and believed, A TMC could not be converted into United States currency or any other currency and thus could not have been worth substantial sums of
money
Kantor performed his fraud
Obstructing Justice
In October 2017, after FBI agents informed Kantor that they were investigating his involvement in binary options, Kantor directed a co-conspirator to alter BBB customer lists. When interviewed by the FBI, Kantor falsely stated that he had not been involved in binary options since August 2013.
The Yukom Binary Option Case
For 2019 the Israeli Yukom Case around its former CEO Lee Elbaz and others which operated the binary options schemes BinaryBook and BigOption will see the U.S. courts. While Lee Elbaz will defend herself in the trial in July 2019, four co-conspirators already pleaded guilty on charges of binary options fraud:
- Lee Elbaz (a/k/a “Lena Green”), the former CEO of the Israel-based company, Yukom Communications, was found guilty after a three-week jury trial of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and three counts of wire fraud. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 9,
2019 . - Lissa Mel (a/k/a “Monica Sanders”) worked as boiler room agent for
Numaris . She pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. She was sentenced to a 12-months prison term and a restitution payment of $288,024. - Austin Smith, (a/k/a “John Ried“) former Vice President of Numaris, a partner of Yukom and founder of Wealth Recovery International pleaded guilty, Sentencing has been scheduled for September 3, 2019.
- Liora Welles (a/k/a “Lindsay Cole” “Lindsay Wells,” and “Lindsay Taylor”) pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Sentencing has been scheduled for Sept 20, 2019.
- Shira Uzan (a/k/a “Shira Baror” and “Emily Laski”) pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud charged. Sentencing has been scheduled for Sept 20, 2019.
- Yair Hadar (a/k/a “Steven Gold”) pleaded guilty on March 21, 2019. Sentencing has been scheduled for Sept 23, 2019.
- Yossi Herzog, a beneficial owner of the Yukom Scheme, is indicted with binary options fraud. Trial date and details of the indictment are not yet publicly known.
- Kobi Cohen, a beneficial owner of the Yukom Scheme, is indicted with binary options fraud. Trial date and details of the indictment are not yet publicly known.
