MINNEAPOLIS—Earlier today in federal court, a 54-year-old Plymouth man was charged, via an Information, with lending credibility to and ultimately persuading others to invest in a multi-million-dollar Ponzi scheme orchestrated by Trevor Cook. Christopher Pettengill was specifically charged with one count of securities fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and one count of money laundering.
Allegedly, from February through September of 2008, Pettengill knowingly concealed information from investors concerning the foreign currency program sold by Pettengill, Cook, and others called the Oxford Entities Currency Program. While concealing that vital information, Pettengill allegedly continued to secure millions of dollars in investment assets from investors while assuring them that the investments involved little or no risk. In addition, Pettengill allegedly conducted numerous wire transfers during the course of the conspiracy, and on September 3, 2008, he allegedly made a credit card payment of $11,369.19, which was derived from the proceeds of the securities fraud.
If convicted, Pettengill faces a potential maximum penalty of ten years in prison on the money laundering charge, five years for securities fraud, and five years for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. All sentences will be determined by a federal district court judge. In August of 2010, Cook was sentenced to 300 months in federal prison for orchestrating the scam. On March 22, 2011, co-defendant Jon Jason Greco was charged with two counts of making false statements to federal agents in relation to the case.
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Report Securities Fraud by Calling 1-888-482-6825 or by visiting
www.reportsecuritiesfraud.net
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