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The founders of IcomTech, David Brend and Gustavo Rodriguez, were questioned about the wire fraud and Ponzi scheme conspiracy for helping, promoting, and running the fake crypto mining and trading scheme.
Background of the Case
A New York jury has conducted surveillance against the two former promoters of the alleged crypto mining and trading company, IcomTech. The inquiry revolved around the wire fraud conspiracy. Both of them were recently found guilty and arrested.
They are facing a maximum prison sentence of twenty years for their involvement in the Ponzi scheme. A jury in a New York District Court found David Brend and Gustavo Rodriguez guilty of conspiracy to execute wire fraud. March 14 marked the end of a two-week-long trial imprisonment.
Recent Developments
In a press release on March 15, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York said that the founder of IcomTech, David Carmora, hired Rodriguez in the middle of 2018 to develop a website for the newly established IcomTech, which represented itself as a crypto mining and trading firm.
Two defendants convicted at trial for participating in cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme “IcomTech”@HSINewYork https://t.co/KL7vjJuzc1
— US Attorney SDNY (@SDNYnews) March 15, 2024
Details of the Claim
The involved personnel claimed to investors of IcomTech that the company’s crypto trading and mining activities would provide guaranteed daily returns. The defendants, however, claimed that the company was not trading or executing any mining activity, rather, it was a Ponzi scheme that used investor funds to pay other investors.
Rodriguez advised on the pricing of available investment packages and the faked daily returns, which are accessible to investors through the website and a portal the company maintained. Promoters of the scheme, including Brend, siphoned off, hundreds of thousands of USD in victim funds, officials from the US Attorney said.
The received or investable fund was used to buy real estate, travel and host lavish events and small community presentations, where promoters were witnessed using expensive cars and came wearing luxury clothing to attract more investors with promises of financial freedom.
Furthermore, the investors of IcomTech were presented with a fake rise in profits in the portal but were not able to withdraw profits. They were given excuses for delays and hidden fees. As soon as the investors started noticing the faults, the complaints rose, and to reduce the complaints, IcomTech launched a token called “ICOMS.” The token was launched to raise extra cash on the false claim that companies would accept it for payments.
Statements of US Attorney
Damian Williams, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, said the scheme was able to defraud tens of thousands of people out of tens of millions of dollars and cheated innocent people out of their hard-earned money.
He added, “As a result of their lies to hardworking people, Brend and Rodriguez stand convicted of a federal crime and face substantial time in prison.”
Upcoming Events
On June 27, Brend is scheduled to be sentenced, and on June 28, Rodriguez will be sentenced.
Marco Ochoa, the former CEO of IcomTech, was also sentenced to five years of imprisonment in January after being found guilty of conspiracy to wire fraud. Carmora, the founder, pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy in December.
With a background in journalism, Ritika Sharma has worked with many reputed media firms focusing on general news such as politics and crime. She joined The Coin Republic as a reporter for crypto, and found a great passion for cryptocurrency, Web3, NFTs and other digital assets. She spends a lot of time researching and delving deeper into these concepts around the clock, and is a strong advocate for women in STEM.
