As a seasoned crypto investor, I’ve seen my fair share of scams and frauds in the industry. But this latest news about Idin Dalpour’s alleged $43 million Ponzi scheme is particularly disheartening. I can only imagine the pain and loss felt by those who fell victim to his deceit.


As a crypto investor, I’ve recently learned that Idin Dalpour has been indicted by a New York court in conjunction with the FBI. The details of the allegations against him are yet to be fully disclosed, but it seems we may be in for some significant developments in the world of digital assets and securities law.

A 39-year-old man from New York stands charged with orchestrating a complex con artist operation, believed to have swindled investors out of approximately $43 million.

$43 Million Ponzi Scheme

The indictment alleges that between roughly 2020 and April 2024, he orchestrated a Ponzi scheme. His primary victims were investors based in the US and other countries, whom he lured into making investments via an entity under his control, named “Entity-1.”

This entity was involved in two distinct business endeavors: managing a cryptocurrency trading company and overseeing a hospitality business in Las Vegas. Dalpour, however, deceptively asserted that he obtained cryptocurrencies at discounted rates and subsequently resold them to individual investors, promising impressive returns and guarantees of risk mitigation for their investments.

Additionally, he asserted that Entity-1 entered into agreements with a prominent management firm and a leading Las Vegas hotel for leasing condos to tourists.

Investors were enticed by the scheme due to promises of large annual returns, which were initially stated as 42%. Dalpour reportedly furnished investors with falsified documents, including contracts, emails, and bank statements, to bolster his misrepresentations regarding the profitability and authenticity of the investments.

The indictment reveals that Dalpour failed to honor his commitments to investors by using their funds for purposes other than what was pledged. Instead, he employed the investments of new backers to repay earlier investors.

According to reports, Dalpour is said to have utilized investors’ resources for his own personal expenses. These expenses included around $1.7 million in gambling losses, over $400,000 worth of expenditures from Art Direct, and private school tuition fees for his children.

He allegedly gave misleading accounts to investors trying to get their money back, with tales of frozen funds because of a supposed server hack at the Hotel and nonexistent banking institutions.

Dalpour Faces Upto 20 Years in Prison

In November 2023, according to the indictment, Dalpour allegedly admitted to deceiving people about the management of the Las Vegas hospitality enterprise. He is also accused of misappropriating investors’ resources and creating false contracts and financial documents.

In this interaction, Dalpour remarked, “You can arrest me on the spot if that’s what you intend, I already possess what I have.”

The apprehension of Dalpour signifies a substantial advancement in the ongoing probe. Should he be found guilty, the penalties include a possible imprisonment term of up to 20 years for the charged offense of wire fraud.

The Southern District of New York’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force is overseeing the investigation in this case. Dalpour is scheduled to make an appearance at the Manhattan Federal Court before United States Magistrate Judge Barbara Moses.

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2024-05-04 22:17