APRIL 19, 2022:
A federal judge has determined the punishment for John Rick Winer, age 68, of New Mexico, who was convicted for his role in fraud, money laundering, and obstruction of justice conspiracies.
Winer was sentenced to 262 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, nearly $11 million in restitution, and forfeiture of a residence in Norway, a luxury vehicle, approximately $4 million in silver coins, and a laptop. He was also ordered to pay $1,200 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Defendants John Rick Winer, Nathan Peachey, and others were originally indicted by a federal grand jury on November 5, 2019. A Second Superseding Indictment was filed on October 6, 2020. Peachey and Winer proceeded to trial in November 2021, and the jury returned guilty verdicts on all counts against both defendants. Peachey was sentenced on February 14, 2022, to 300 months in federal prison and ordered to pay approximately $11 million in restitution. Winer was originally scheduled for sentencing that same day but failed to appear.
According to evidence presented at trial and court documents, Peachey resided in and operated from the State of Pennsylvania and from a suburb of Oslo, Norway. Peachey aided in soliciting millions of dollars from investors in the United States, and he received funds from others who were involved in the fraud scheme. Funds obtained by and through Peachey were, in part, laundered through and into domestic and international bank accounts. After his receipt of funds, Peachey would transfer or wire funds to his co-conspirators, and he also would use funds on personal expenditures.
Winer resided and operated from the State of New Mexico, among other places. Winer recruited individuals from South Dakota and elsewhere to invest in various projects, and he solicited funds that were obtained through the fraud scheme. After his receipt of funds, Winer would transfer or wire funds to his co-conspirators and others known and unknown to the Grand Jury, and he also would use funds on personal expenditures.
As to the scheme to defraud the victims across the country, Peachey and Winer, along with their co-conspirators, informed investors that the monies provided to one or more of the co-conspirators would be used for charitable or humanitarian projects, oftentimes using religion to entice and induce victims into investing money in the scheme. They also made promises that there would be a return on investments. Peachey and Winer informed investors that the monies provided to one or more of the co-conspirators would not be expended on personal expenses. Investor money was not used for charitable or for humanitarian projects, and investors never received a return on investments relating to the monies provided to Peachey, Winer, or their co-conspirators. The purpose of the conspiracy was to enrich the co-conspirators, all of whom amassed nearly $13 million, and then spent the fraud proceeds on a luxury residence located in a suburb of Oslo, Norway, renovation costs on the house, a Mercedes Benz, nearly $4 million in silver, travel, and personal expenses. This fraud scheme impacted victims from around the United States, including South Dakota, Minnesota, Arizona, New Mexico, Florida, Colorado, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina.
While espousing sovereign-citizen and religiously-based ideologies and employing such tactics, Peachey, Winer, and their co-conspirators utilized, independently or jointly, entities to perpetrate the fraud scheme, including, but not limited to: AG Enterprises, L.L.C.; House of Winer; Jacobs Provision Trust; The Joseph Project; Jericho Outreach; Jericho Outreach – Norway; Christian Charity Foundation; and G47 Initiative. These entities were fake and used to receive fraud proceeds and launder money.
Once Peachey and Winer learned about the investigation in South Dakota and elsewhere, they also conspired to obstruct justice. Peachey and Winer conspired to corruptly obstruct, influence, and impede the investigation of the below-listed agencies and various court proceedings.
This case was investigated by the following entities: Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation; Federal Bureau of Investigation; ØKOKRIM, the Norwegian National Authority for Prosecution and Investigation of Economic and Environmental Crime, Oslo, Norway; Oslo, Norway Police Department; Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs; and the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation.
Winer was immediately returned to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service to begin serving his sentence of imprisonment.
DECEMBER 1, 2022:
50 year old Nathan J. Peachey of Pennsylvania and 67 year old John Rick Winer of New Mexico have been convicted by a federal jury in South Dakota on a variety of fraud, money laundering and obstruction charges.
Peachey was convicted of Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments, Conspiracy to Obstruct Justice, and nine counts of Laundering Monetary Instruments. Winer was likewise convicted of the three conspiracy offenses, in addition to four counts of Wire Fraud and five counts of Laundering Monetary Instruments. The jury also returned a special verdict relating to the forfeiture of a residence in Norway, a luxury vehicle and silver coins.
“Luring victims into believing their money would be invested to better humanity, the defendants engaged in a long-running, international scheme to steal and launder victims’ money for self-enrichment,” said Acting U.S. Attorney for South Dakota Dennis R. Holmes. “The jury’s verdict validates the extensive work of this Office and of its law enforcement partners across the United States and in Norway. Together, we will continue to use every available tool to combat and prevent criminals from exploiting victims for personal benefit.”
“Mr. Peachey and Mr. Winer preyed on the charitable hearts of innocent victims. IRS Criminal Investigation is committed to unraveling complex schemes that send victim’s money overseas. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to track ill-gotten gains and bring these criminals to justice,” said Special Agent in Charge, Tyler Hatcher, IRS Criminal Investigation, St. Louis Field Office.
“During the trial, we heard evidence of the defendants boasting on tape about their ability to con ‘99-percent of the population,’ which shows that anyone can become a victim of a scam,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Michael Paul. “But it only strengthens our resolve to hold these con men responsible for their actions, no matter the type of scam or their intended target.”
The maximum penalties for each of the charges are 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both imprisonment and a fine, a term of three years of supervised release, a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund, restitution, and forfeiture.
According to evidence presented at trial, Peachey resided in and operated from the State of Pennsylvania and from a suburb of Oslo, Norway. Peachey aided in soliciting millions of dollars from investors in the United States, and he received funds from others who were involved in the fraud scheme. Funds obtained by and through Peachey were, in part, laundered through and into domestic and international bank accounts. After his receipt of funds, Peachey would transfer or wire funds to his co-conspirators, and he also would use funds on personal expenditures.
Winer resided and operated from New Mexico, among other places. Winer recruited individuals from South Dakota and elsewhere to invest in various projects, and he solicited funds that were obtained through the fraud scheme. After his receipt of funds, Winer would transfer or wire funds to his co-conspirators and others known and unknown and he also would use funds on personal expenditures.
As to the scheme to defraud the victims across the country, Peachey and Winer, along with their co-conspirators, informed investors that the monies provided to one or more of the co-conspirators would be used for charitable or humanitarian projects, oftentimes using religion to entice and induce victims into investing money in the scheme. They also made promises that there would be a return on investments. Peachey and Winer informed investors that the monies provided to one or more of the co-conspirators would not be expended on personal expenses. Investor money was not used for charitable or for humanitarian projects, and investors never received a return on investments relating to the monies provided to Peachey, Winer or their co-conspirators. The purpose of the conspiracy was to enrich the co-conspirators, all of whom amassed nearly $13 million and then spent the fraud proceeds on a luxury residence located in a suburb of Oslo, Norway, renovation costs on the house, a Mercedes Benz, nearly $4 million in silver, travel, and personal expenses.
This fraud scheme impacted victims from around the United States, including South Dakota, Minnesota, Arizona, New Mexico, Florida, Colorado, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina. Peachey, Winer, and their co-conspirators utilized, independently or jointly, entities to perpetrate the fraud scheme, including, but not limited to: AG Enterprises, L.L.C.; House of Winer; Jacobs Provision Trust; The Joseph Project; Jericho Outreach; Jericho Outreach – Norway; Christian Charity Foundation; and G47 Initiative. These entities were fake and used to receive fraud proceeds and launder money.
Through extensive coordination and partnership, this complex, long-running fraud and money laundering case was investigated and prosecuted by the following entities:
- Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation;
- Federal Bureau of Investigation;
- ØKOKRIM, the Norwegian National Authority for Prosecution and Investigation of Economic and Environmental Crime, Oslo, Norway;
- Oslo, Norway, Police Department;
- Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs; and
- South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeremy R. Jehangiri and Ann M. Hoffman prosecuted the case.
A presentence investigation was ordered and a sentencing date was set for February 14, 2022. The defendants were released pending their sentencing hearings.
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