A US federal judge in Virginia sentenced Ramil Ventura Palafox, CEO of Praetorian Group International, to 20 years in prison for a $200 million crypto investment fraud. The 61-year-old US and Filipino citizen Palafox was convicted of wire fraud and money laundering. Prosecutors stated that the scheme was a Ponzi structure promising up to 3% daily returns through Bitcoin trading.
PGI founder Ramil Ventura Palafox. Source: PGI Global Trade
Palafox Ponzi Scheme’s BTC Details
Between December 2019 and October 2021, investors deposited more than $201 million in funds and at least 8.198 BTC (worth $171.5 million at the time). Victims lost at least $62.7 million. While the company did not conduct real BTC detailed analysis, it paid old investors with new investor money and displayed profits via a fake online portal.
Palafox’s Luxury Spending and Sentence
Palafox spent $3 million on luxury cars and more than $6 million on homes in Las Vegas and Los Angeles. One of the major crypto fraud cases has been concluded with lawsuits from the Department of Justice and SEC. This is a critical precedent warning investors.
Institutional Purchases in BTC Market: Binance and Goldman Sachs
While fraud news is pressuring BTC, there are positive developments in the BTC futures market. According to Arkham data, Binance’s SAFU fund acquired 4.545 BTC worth $304.58 million. Goldman Sachs holds $1.1 billion in BTC, $1 billion in ETH, $153 million in XRP, and $108 million in SOL. These purchases demonstrate institutional confidence despite Ponzi risks.
BTC Technical Analysis: Current Support and Resistance Levels
Today’s BTC price is 67.022,71$ (-1,34% 24h). RSI 31,11 (Oversold), trend downward, Supertrend bearish. EMA 20: 74.577$.
| Level | Price | Score | Distance | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S1 | 65.416$ | 76/100 ⭐ | -2,35% | S2, Fibo 0.114, Ichimoku |
| S2 | 60.000$ | 71/100 ⭐ | -10,44% | Fibo 0 |
| R1 | 70.165$ | 72/100 ⭐ | +4,73% | Fibo 0.214, R2 |
| R2 | 78.145$ | 63/100 ⭐ | +16,65% | Fibo 0.382, Ichimoku |
S1 is strong support; if broken, 60K could be tested.
Investor Lessons from Similar BTC Frauds
- Question high return promises.
- Use licensed platforms (like Binance).
- Check transparent on-chain data (like Arkham).
- High scam risk in related tokens like PORTAL; DYOR.
This case emphasizes the importance of regulation in the BTC ecosystem.
Source: https://en.coinotag.com/praetorian-ceo-sentenced-to-20-years-in-prison-200m-btc-ponzi