The operator of a sophisticated work-at-home email scheme was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 38 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and $2,359,914 in restitution for bankruptcy fraud. According to news reports and this press release, Marina Bonderenko operated a work-at-home Ponzi scheme that ultimately failed but not before she and her partner, Volodimyr Pigida, raided the cash to purchase homes, expensive cars, and a yacht. As victims of the scam got wise and the money started to run out, Bonderenko and Pigida accelerated their looting of the company, eventually transferring $3.3 million out of the company for their personal benefit. The two set up a series of trusts to try to hide the diverted assets from the bankruptcy trustee after the sham company declared bankruptcy. Bonderenko and Pigida never revealed to the bankruptcy court that they had looted the company coffers and transferred assets purchased with that money to ten trusts they had established. In all, the pair attempted to conceal $3,334,750 in assets from the bankruptcy court and creditors.
Bonderenko and her now-husband Pigida were indicted for conspiracy, mail, wire, and bankruptcy fraud in November 2018. In September 2019, Bonderenko pleaded guilty to a single count of bankruptcy fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. 157.
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