Laurie Schneider, of Oceanside, New York, has been indicted for operating Ponzi schemes that defrauded investors of more than $4 million.1 The defendant was arraigned earlier today before United States Magistrate Judge A. Kathleen Tomlinson at the United States Courthouse, 100 Federal Plaza, Central Islip, New York.
The charges were announced by Loretta E. Lynch, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Janice K. Fedarcyk, Assistant Director in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office.
As alleged in the indictment, Schneider began accepting money in September 2006 from individuals seeking a return on their investment. In one scheme, operating a shell company incorporated as Janitorial Close-Out City Corp., Schneider falsely informed potential investors that Janitorial Close-Out invested in industrial equipment and machinery manufactured by companies in China. To induce investments, Schneider, among other things, (1) personally guaranteed specified positive rates of return as high as 60 percent, (2) represented that she had a business contact who had strong relationships with companies in China, and (3) represented that she would be able to buy the industrial equipment and machinery at wholesale prices which Janitorial Close-Out would resell in the United States at a 15 to 60 percent profit over a nine to 18-month period. In fact, the indictment charges that Schneider actually was running a Ponzi scheme, paying returns to Janitorial Close-Out investors not from any profits earned on the purchase and resale of industrial equipment and machinery, but rather from existing investors’ deposits or money paid by new investors. Schneider never produced or earned the rates of return that she promised. Rather, the positive rates of return were simply pre-determined rates made up by Schneider based upon fictitious profits.
The government estimates that Schneider defrauded over 25 investors in Janitorial Close-Out of more than $4 million, and more than $5 million through related schemes.
“In these difficult economic times, it’s all the more troubling that, as alleged in the indictment, someone would take advantage of the trust of investors for personal financial gain,” stated United States Attorney Lynch. “As alleged, this defendant falsely represented herself as having international business connections that would benefit her investors, when in reality she was engaged in purely homegrown fraud and deception. This indictment serves as a warning that we will vigorously investigate and prosecute those who, by deceit and false promises, would steal from those who believed they were investing in a legitimate enterprise.” Ms. Lynch added that the government’s investigation is continuing.
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