Pyramid & Ponzi Scheme Defense in New York City

scam - Law Offices of Hope C. Lefeber

Pyramid schemes and Ponzi schemes are a type of financial fraud that is investigated by federal government agencies including the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the FBI, as well as by state law enforcement agencies. If you are convicted of running a pyramid or Ponzi scheme you face severe penalties that may include jail time, substantial fines, forfeiture, and restitution. Accusations of operating a pyramid or Ponzi scheme are often accompanied by other criminal charges including tax fraud, mail and wire fraud, financial and securities fraud, and other financial crimes.

If you have been charged with operating a pyramid or Ponzi scheme in federal court, you need an experienced, aggressive criminal defense lawyer on your side who understands the complex nature of these crimes and will hold the government accountable to its burden of proof.

Defense Against Allegations of Pyramid and Ponzi Schemes in New York City

New York City federal criminal defense lawyer Hope Lefeber has been defending people accused of operating pyramid and Ponzi schemes for more than 30 years. She began her career as an Enforcement Attorney with the United States Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC), where she learned first-hand how the federal government prepares and prosecutes criminal cases. Today, she uses that experience to defend people who have been charged with white-collar crimes in federal court.

Ms. Lefeber is fierce, tenacious, and passionate in her defense of her clients who will do everything in her power to defend her clients, their rights, and their freedom. She has earned a reputation for her meticulous analysis and thorough preparation of every case she handles. She is highly regarded by her colleagues in the federal bar, federal prosecutors, federal judges, and her clients, and is staunchly opposed to government overreach and prosecutorial over-charging. She is passionately committed to seeking justice for her clients.

What Is a Ponzi Scheme?

A Ponzi scheme, named after its inventor, Charles Ponzi, is a type of pyramid or multi-level marketing scam where a director or manager solicits investors with the promise of a certain rate of return on a particular investment. Ponzi schemes can be advertised as securities, hedge funds, or even postage stamps. Instead of paying investors with profits from actual investments, the manager or director pays investors with principal provided by other, new investors.

Ponzi schemes can involve the following forms of financial fraud:

Who Can Be Charged with a Pyramid Scheme or Ponzi Scheme?

Fund managers, brokers, marketers, salesmen, financial planners, ordinary businessmen and women, and people who work in the financial services industry are often charged with operating a Ponzi scheme. Because victims often include the elderly and other vulnerable members of society, the FBI, DOJ, and SEC prosecute these crimes aggressively. But experienced investors and other highly educated people are not immune and can also be victims.

The prosecution of people accused of operating a Ponzi or pyramid scheme is complex. Prosecutors always seek to apply the highest possible “intended” amount of loss in these cases, even when the loss did not occur, in order to get the most severe penalties. If you have been accused of running a Ponzi or pyramid scheme, you need an experienced criminal defense attorney who understands complex financial transactions on your side in order to mitigate the penalties and to reduce the amount of the loss with which you are charged.

Hope Lefeber — Defending People Accused of Operating Pyramid Schemes in New York City

A conviction for operating a Ponzi or pyramid scheme carries large fines, lengthy jail sentences, restitution, and forfeiture. If you have been charged with running a pyramid or Ponzi scheme, you need an experienced, aggressive criminal defense lawyer on your side who is well-versed in the world of complex financial transactions and will challenge the government’s evidence against you, protect your rights, and help you avoid a conviction or lengthy term of imprisonment.

Hope Lefeber is a fierce and tenacious litigator who meticulously prepares every case she handles. She has a deep knowledge of federal criminal law and a thorough understanding of the financial industry. She has defended executives at Fortune 500 companies, businessmen and women, professors, lawyers, doctors, securities principals, healthcare professionals and other high-profile clients who have been charged with federal crimes; she has lectured on federal criminal law topics and appeared on TV as a legal expert.

If you are facing criminal charges for running a pyramid scheme or Ponzi scheme, Hope Lefeber should be your first call. Contact Ms. Lefeber today by calling 610-668-7927 or completing the online form.