CEO sentenced to 20 years for $200M Bitcoin Ponzi scheme

A U.S. federal court has sentenced the chief executive of a crypto trading and multi-level marketing firm to 20 years in prison for orchestrating a massive Bitcoin-based Ponzi scheme that defrauded tens of thousands of investors worldwide.

Bitcoin Ponzi scheme CEO sentenced to 20 years

Ramil Ventura Palafox, 61, former CEO and Chairman of Praetorian Group International (PGI), received the sentence Thursday after being convicted on multiple federal charges, including wire fraud and money laundering.

According to court documents, Palafox used PGI to lure more than 90,000 investors into a purported Bitcoin (BTC) trading program that promised daily returns of 0.5% to 3%.

Prosecutors said the program never engaged in genuine trading, instead, returns were paid with funds from new investors, a classic Bitcoin Ponzi scheme.

Victims from around the world collectively invested more than $200 million, with documented losses exceeding tens of millions for many individuals.

Government filings show Palafox made lavish personal purchases with investor money, which reportedly included luxury cars, high-end designer goods and real estate. Earlier reports in the case revealed that millions flowed into personal expenses rather than investment activity, exacerbating investors’ losses.

“He spent approximately $3 million on 20 luxury vehicles, including automobiles by Porsche, Lamborghini, McClaren, Ferrari, BMW, Bentley, and others. Palafox spent approximately $329,000 on penthouse suites at a luxury hotel chain and purchased four homes in Las Vegas and Los Angeles worth more than $6 million. Palafox spent another $3 million of investors’ money to buy clothing, watches, jewelry, and home furnishings at luxury retailers, including Louboutin, Neiman Marcus, Gucci, Versace, Ferragamo, Valentino, Cartier, Rolex, and Hermes, among others,” the DoJ statement said.

Palafox initially pleaded guilty in September 2025 to fraud and money laundering charges, acknowledging his role in the Bitcoin Ponzi scheme that operated between December 2019 and October 2021.

The FBI’s Washington Field Office and IRS Criminal Investigation Division assisted in the case, and some victims have already been granted restitution orders. Efforts continue to track down remaining assets to repay those defrauded.