SEC-PR-2024-95 (Aug. 12, 2024)
SEC Charges NovaTech and its Principals and Promoters with $650 Million Crypto Fraud – Multi-level marketing company promoted scheme to defraud more than 200,000 investors worldwide
Washington D.C., Aug. 12, 2024 — The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced charges against Cynthia and Eddy Petion, along with their company, NovaTech Ltd., for operating a fraudulent scheme that raised more than $650 million in crypto assets from more than 200,000 investors worldwide, including many in the Haitian-American community. The SEC also charged Martin Zizi, Dapilinu Dunbar, James Corbett, Corrie Sampson, John Garofano, and Marsha Hadley for their roles in promoting NovaTech to investors.
According to the SEC’s complaint, the Petions operated NovaTech as a multi-level marketing (MLM) and crypto asset investment program from 2019 through 2023. They lured investors by claiming NovaTech would invest their funds on crypto asset and foreign exchange markets. Cynthia Petion assured investors that their investments would be safe and promised that “[i]n this program, you are in profit from day one, because again you have access to that capital.” In reality, NovaTech used the majority of investor funds to make payments to existing investors and to pay commissions to promoters, using only a fraction of investor funds for trading. The complaint further alleges that the Petions siphoned millions of dollars of investor assets for themselves. When NovaTech ultimately collapsed, most investors were not able to withdraw their investments, resulting in substantial losses, according to the complaint.
Date: Aug. 12, 2024
Accessed: Sep. 19, 2024
Source URL: https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2024-95
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