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A random mention made me look this story up again:
In April, the New York Southern District Court unsealed an indictment against Ruja Ignatova and Sebastian Greenwood, for their involvement in OneCoin, one of the largest Ponzi schemes in history. https://news.bitcoin.com/charges-of-fraudulent-pretense-us-court-unseals-onecoin-cofounders-indictment/
In April, the New York Southern District Court unsealed an indictment against Ruja Ignatova and Sebastian Greenwood, for their involvement in OneCoin, one of the largest Ponzi schemes in history. https://news.bitcoin.com/charges-of-fraudulent-pretense-us-court-unseals-onecoin-cofounders-indictment/
Ignatova, daughter of an alleged Bulgarian mafia boss, is notorious as the ‘Crypto Queen’, creator of a much hyped cryptocurrency that ultimately proved to be nothing more than smoke and mirrors. Nonetheless, she and her cohorts scooped up billions.
Then she vanished.
Then she vanished.
Conspiracy theories abound, but the plain fact is that no one has seen her in years.
Her former right-hand man, though, is easier to find. Or at least his investments are. As late as March last year, he was co-owner of XO Resort + Residences on a small island near Santo.
Her former right-hand man, though, is easier to find. Or at least his investments are. As late as March last year, he was co-owner of XO Resort + Residences on a small island near Santo.
His partner? The now-famous ‘Lord’ Geoffrey Bond, who made business news worldwide when be announced he’d be selling Vanuatu passports for BitCoin.
Turns out he’s a bit of a character, as we found: https://dailypost.vu/opinion/bitcoin-of-the-realm/article_644693e4-796e-5a71-819f-16dd900acb31.html
Turns out he’s a bit of a character, as we found: https://dailypost.vu/opinion/bitcoin-of-the-realm/article_644693e4-796e-5a71-819f-16dd900acb31.html
‘Lord’ Bond may have been the junior partner in all this.
Police in China, India, Germany, UK & Canada are after Greenwood for his involvement in the OneCoin/OneLife scam.
Didn’t stop him from spending about $1million on the Vanuatu resort, though: https://dailypost.vu/opinion/the-companies-we-keep/article_07616bfb-0705-5dbf-a89e-a75919c4c367.html
Police in China, India, Germany, UK & Canada are after Greenwood for his involvement in the OneCoin/OneLife scam.
Didn’t stop him from spending about $1million on the Vanuatu resort, though: https://dailypost.vu/opinion/the-companies-we-keep/article_07616bfb-0705-5dbf-a89e-a75919c4c367.html
In April the SDNY filed for forfeiture of all Greenwood’s assets, and charged him with wire and securities fraud, among other crimes. https://www.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.535589/gov.uscourts.nysd.535589.265.0.pdf
So who gets the resort? Dunno, because the company that owns it is gone.
In June this year, the company was de-registered by the Vanuatu Financial Services Commission, for failure to file an annual return.
In June this year, the company was de-registered by the Vanuatu Financial Services Commission, for failure to file an annual return.
Has Greenwood even visited Vanuatu? We don’t know.
We do know that Bond (Geoffrey Bond) has, and almost scammed the Efate council of chiefs into accepting a farea funded by him.
We do know that Bond (Geoffrey Bond) has, and almost scammed the Efate council of chiefs into accepting a farea funded by him.
And Ms Ignatova? Well if she ever needed a hidey hole, there are worse places in the world than Aore island, I suppose, though it got pretty banged up by cyclone Harold.
So you can imagine how people in Vanuatu feel when they see explicit references in the Tamtam Bubble plan to facilitate private flights in order promote business and investment in Vanuatu.
I’d like to believe we can choose better. In a few notable cases we have….
I’d like to believe we can choose better. In a few notable cases we have….
But I just can’t help feeling apprehensive that we have yet to learn how to effectively mind the companies we keep.
