Claude Darrell McDougal was sentenced to 78 months in prison after pleading guilty to orchestrating a Ponzi scheme that defrauded more than 25 investors out of approximately $2.5 million.
According to court documents, McDougal solicited investments in the form of promissory notes through something called “US Financial Alliance Consultants, LLC,” a company that McDougal created in 2005. It was alleged that the promissory notes issued by the company were not properly registered to be sold in any state, and McDougal was not registered to sell securities.
In order to induce investors, McDougal was accused of promisingthat investors would receive guaranteed fixed rates of returns on their investment between 6-15% each year.
The complaint explained that many of McDougal’s victims were elderly, and some of them lost their entire life savings investing in McDougal’s Ponzi scheme.
Instead of investing the money as promised, McDougal used some of the money to issue “payouts” to other investors and used about $1.19 million to fund a lavish lifestyle, including dinners, jewelry, and hotels, among other things.
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