AirBit Club co-founder Pablo Renato Rodriguez, 40, has been sentenced to 12 years in prison.

On the money side of things, forfeiture was set at $65 million as per a previously consented to order back in March.

The DOJ has been given until December 26th to file a motion regarding Rodriguez’s ordered restitution.

Due to scheduling conflicts on the DOJ’s side, sentencing for several of Rodriguez co-conspirators has been delayed.

  • Gutemberg Dos Santos (AirBit Club co-founder) will now be sentenced on October 4th
  • Scott Hughes (AirBit Club lawyer) will now be sentenced on October 3rd
  • Karina Chairez (AirBit Club promoter) will now be sentenced on October 3rd
  • Cecilia Millan (AirBit Club promoter) remains scheduled to be sentenced on October 3rd

AirBit Club was an MLM crypto Ponzi scheme launched back in 2015.

In response to our reporting on AirBit Club, Scott Hughes (right) threatened BehindMLM with legal action in 2016.

AirBit Club indictments dropped in August 2020, confirming AirBit Club was a $100 million Ponzi scheme.

Milan and co-defendant Margarita Cabrera are also defendants in civil charges filed by the SEC.

The SEC’s AirBit Club case remains stayed pending the outcome of Milan’s criminal proceedings.

 

Update 5th October 2023 – Cecilia Millan, Karina Chairez and Scott Hughes have all received prison sentences.

 

Update #2 5th October 2023 – Gutemberg dos Santos has been sentenced to 40 months in prison.

 

Update 19th October 2023 – Renato Rodriguez filed an appeal against his sentencing on October 10th, 2023.

 

Update 3rd April 2025 – Two Final Orders of Restitution against Renato Rodriguez were filed on March 6th and March 23rd respectively.

As per the orders, Rodriguez will forfeit

  • the balances of several bank and credit union accounts held in the names of Master Commerce Industries, Pablo Rodriguez, Pablo Renato Rodriguez Arevalo, Master Group S.A., Master Tax Group Inc., Yeimi M. Rodriguez, Master Tech Developments Inc. dba Global Tech Management, Cecilia Dennys Millan Lara and Coaching Business Corporation;
  • $454,175 seized from a Bank of America account in the name of AZ International Processing, Inc dba Digital Wallets Services;
  • $27,384 seized from a Bank of America account held in the name of Pablo Rodriguez;
  • $999,936 held in escrow for a Gulfstream Jet;
  • $896,483 in seized cash;
  • 1424.74 bitcoin (currently $118.9 million USD), held in a digital wallets seized from Jorge Alejandro Rodriguez, Pablo Renato Rodriguez and Margarita Cabrera;
  • 2499.997 bitcoin held in additionally seized digital wallets of unspecified origin;
  • 3500 bitcoin cash;
  • 0.00098384 bitcoin held in a digital wallet seized from
  • cryptocurrency held in Coinbase accounts in the names of Margarita Cabrera and Orlando Velasco Ponce;
  • a property in Irvina, California;
  • seized Apple iPhones, MacBooks and various other electronic equipment;
  • seized basketball and Pokemon trading cards;
  • nineteen seized luxury watches and various jewelry; and
  • various items of clothing