Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
U.S. charges ex-radio host who hoped 'spell' would stop fraud probe
Source: Reuters
#U.S. LEGAL NEWS AUGUST 28, 2017 / 4:42 PM / 8 MINUTES AGO
U.S. charges ex-radio host who hoped 'spell' would stop fraud probe
Jonathan Stempel
3 MIN READ
(Reuters) - U.S. authorities on Monday charged a former radio host with fraudulently raising $20 million in a scam bearing the hallmarks of a Ponzi scheme, while hoping to cast a “spell” to silence lawyers trying to investigate her.
Dawn Bennett, who hosted “Financial Myth Busting with Dawn Bennett,” diverted about half of what she raised in a 2-1/2 year scheme to repay earlier investors, buy luxuries including many dozen pairs of shoes and pay back rent to the Dallas Cowboys for a luxury suite at AT&T Stadium, authorities said.
Prosecutors also disclosed the discovery in an Aug. 2 search of Bennett’s penthouse in Chevy Chase, Maryland, of two freezers containing sealed Mason jars bearing the initials of U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission lawyers, on whom Bennett may have hoped to cast a “hoodoo spell.”
Bennett was criminally charged with wire fraud, bank fraud and making false statements related to a loan and credit application, according to federal court records in Greenbelt, Maryland.
-snip-
U.S. charges ex-radio host who hoped 'spell' would stop fraud probe
Jonathan Stempel
3 MIN READ
(Reuters) - U.S. authorities on Monday charged a former radio host with fraudulently raising $20 million in a scam bearing the hallmarks of a Ponzi scheme, while hoping to cast a “spell” to silence lawyers trying to investigate her.
Dawn Bennett, who hosted “Financial Myth Busting with Dawn Bennett,” diverted about half of what she raised in a 2-1/2 year scheme to repay earlier investors, buy luxuries including many dozen pairs of shoes and pay back rent to the Dallas Cowboys for a luxury suite at AT&T Stadium, authorities said.
Prosecutors also disclosed the discovery in an Aug. 2 search of Bennett’s penthouse in Chevy Chase, Maryland, of two freezers containing sealed Mason jars bearing the initials of U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission lawyers, on whom Bennett may have hoped to cast a “hoodoo spell.”
Bennett was criminally charged with wire fraud, bank fraud and making false statements related to a loan and credit application, according to federal court records in Greenbelt, Maryland.
-snip-
Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-crime-bennett-idUSKCN1B821G
1 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
