Frank Schneider’s OneCoin indictment unsealed
In what might be indirect confirmation Frank Schneider will be extradited to the US, the DOJ moved to unseal his indictment.
The court granted the DOJ’s request on December 5th.
Schneider (right) was indicted by a Grand Jury in New York sometime after 2019. The previously sealed indictment is not dated so I can’t pinpoint when it was filed.
Schneider was integral to OneCoin growing into a colossal $4 billion Ponzi scheme. Working as founder Ruja Ignatova right-hand man, Schneider oversaw money laundering and general intelligence.
Outside of OneCoin’s Ponzi scheme, Schneider is believed to have tipped Ignatova off to a pending FBI investigation – prompting her disappearance in late 2017.
As per Schneider’s indictment, he’s been charged with two counts of fraud; Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering.
SCHNEIDER helped to operate an international fraud scheme involving the sale of a purported cryptocurrency known as “OneCoin” – by, among other things, managing the scheme’s proceeds and evading law enforcement investigations into the scheme – as part of which false statements and misrepresentations were made td solicit individuals throughout the world.
It was further a part and an object of the conspiracy that FRANK SCHNEIDER, the defendant, and others known and unknown, would and did transport, transmit, and transfer, and attempt to transport, transmit, and transfer a monetary instrument and funds from a place in the United States to and through a place outside the United States, and to a place in the United States from and through a place outside the United States, knowing that the monetary instrument and funds involved in the transportation, transmission, and transfer represented the proceeds of some form of unlawful activity and knowing that such transportation, transmission, and transfer was designed in whole and in part to conceal and disguise the nature, location, source, ownership, and control of the proceeds of specified unlawful activity, to wit, proceeds of the wire-fraud scheme.
If convicted, Schneider is facing an up to 40 year sentence. At 53, this virtually guarantees Schneider will die in prison.
The DOJ is also seeking forfeiture of any funds and/or assets Schneider directly and/or indirectly acquired through OneCoin.
Although Schneider’s extradition has yet to be confirmed by the French government, the unsealing of his indictment suggests an announcement is imminent.
Update 7th December 2020 – As per the indictment unseal order, Schneider’s superseding indictment took place on September 24, 2020.
We don’t know when the original indictment was filed but it’d have to be between 2017 (Ruja Ignatova’s was filed this year) and 2020.
Update 9th June 2023 – Following the French government granting his extradition in early April, Schneider fled monitored detention in mid to late May.
French authorities claim they don’t know where he is, making Schneider a wanted fugitive.
Morocco sent Spain home woweee!
I wonder how many OneCoin fans even know who Schneider is?
Superseding indictment was only issued and filed December 5, 2022 and knocks out the previous indictment and facts he was facing extradition on.
New indictment seems to have fewer facts and charges, actually a paucity of facts. I think he will have to rearrested and extradited unless this is part of someone’s deal.
Superseding indictment is only two counts 1. Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and 2. Conspiracy to Money Launder – it contains no facts or names other than Scheneider and OneCoin and seeks a forfeiture of assets, 7 pages.
@Jon
Filed on December 5th but that’s not necessarily the date the indictment was handed down (?).
Ruja’s indictment was in 2017. It wasn’t filed till 2018. Greenwood’s was filed even later.
I do think it’s odd there’s no date on the indictment but without it we don’t know when it was returned.
The unsealing Order has been uploaded to CourtListener as well.
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.590573/gov.uscourts.nysd.590573.502.0.pdf
Ah, so if Schneider’s unsealed superseding indictment was filed in 2020, that means it was obviously the one the extradition is based on.
I’m tipping the DOJ has received confirmation from the French government that Schneider will be extradited. He might already be in US custody.
The superseding indictment does not match up at all with this one which was utilized for the extradition, where did the additional facts come from?
https://behindmlm.com/companies/onecoin/frank-schneiders-indictment-details-from-french-extradition/
Makes no sense to me why the unsealed indictment has no previous filing date? Even under seal it should have a date not are the signatures dated.
When has any of the legal process around OneCoin made any sense?
😀
Just to recap – you are right – additional facts are in the still sealed arrest warrant.
The indictment is signed by Audrey Strauss who would be the right person for 2020. Still the document shows no signs of any previous filing dates. And no clue as to why it is released now.
As stated the only reason I can think of to unseal the indictment is because Schneider is or is about to be extradited. That’s what the DOJ has been waiting on.
Matthew Russell Lee, InnerCityPress, in a Twitter vlog today:
twitter.com/innercitypress/status/1600878851503976449
There it is. Ladies and gentlemen, they got him.
Wonderful if it’s real
InnerCityPress on Twitter:
Boo-urns!
From InnerCityPress:
This case, for now, is US v. Hamilton, et al., 18-cr-793 (Broderick)
innercitypress.com/sdnyunseal51onecoinscottmotionicp121322.html
Thanks for that.
I’ll add that Schneider has his own case docket up @ 1:17-cr-00630-ER-6.
Also I don’t think it’s so much a case consolidation as it is requesting the cases (Scott, Armenta and Hamilton), be assigned to the same judge.
This is from the filing;
I’m reading it that the cases will be heard by the same judge, sparing a rehash of OneCoin when Hamilton is presented (once he’s finally extradited).
I have a question for Rok Sinćek from Zagreb (we know he is reading behindmlm), who was one of the leaders in the organisation of onecoin scam events.
Where is my money I gave it to you, and why are you hiding? You knew exactly this scam will not last long, and that is why you took my money and gave me your shitty coins.
Me and my sister will not forgive you, we managed to report you to the police and they said the investigation is starting.
Thanks god, we are positive and we know you have funds hidden and we will get them back. God help you Rok.
Konstantin seems to have internet access again.
facebook.com/konsti.keks
He doesn’t look terribly happy.
Greenwood pleading guilty just at this moment writing this. Live tweeted by Inner City Press!
twitter.com/innercitypress/status/1603782205318340613
Sebastian Greenwood pleads guilty. Official announcement by Department of Justice U.S. Attorney’s Office Southern District of New York.
justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/co-founder-multi-billion-dollar-cryptocurrency-pyramid-scheme-onecoin-pleads-guilty
Already reported by Reuters, where is Oz? 😀
reuters.com/legal/cryptoqueen-associate-pleads-guilty-us-over-onecoin-fraud-2022-12-16/
Greenwood pleads gulty but noting yet in PACER as of 8:15 EST 12/16/2022
justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/co-founder-multi-billion-dollar-cryptocurrency-pyramid-scheme-onecoin-pleads-guilty
From Inner City Press’ coverage:
I might be reading too much into it but is Greenwood someone’s bitch now? Well, other than the DOJ’s.
My sleep schedule has been messed up all month because of the World Cup.
Last match is this Sunday. Even though there’s a few days break figured it wasn’t worth resetting my body clock till after the final.
Christopher Hamilton indictment and docket on CourtListener:
courtlistener.com/docket/66614259/3/united-states-v-hamilton/
courtlistener.com/docket/66614259/united-states-v-hamilton/
Thanks Fin.
Oh ffs, Frank Schneider on the run. He got rid of his electronic surveillance just before his extradition to the US, and run.
100komma7.lu/article/aktualiteit/franseisch-justiz-confirmeiert-frank-schneider-op-der-flucht