Bitclub Newsletter No. 103
Dear Clients,
I would like to inform you about the key details of this Bitclub case. Jobadiah “Joby” Weeks has pled guilty to two counts of fraud related to the BitClub Network.
According to the plea agreement reached with the Department of Justice (DOJ), Weeks pled guilty to conspiracy to offer and sell unregistered securities and tax evasion.
Weeks admitted to willfully evading tax obligations for the taxable periods from 2015 to 2018. The two counts of fraud carry consecutive statutory prison sentences of up to five years each, along with an additional monetary penalty. The plea agreement also requires Weeks to pay restitution to the victims of the BitClub Network.
The court accepted Weeks’ plea agreement on November 5, 2020. On November 6, bail was set at $2 million. To secure his release, four properties in the US belonging to Weeks and his family members were offered as collateral.
The number of BitClub scammers who have pled guilty now stands at three. Programmer Silviu Catalin pled guilty in July, and promoter Joe Abel in September. The DOJ’s case against ringleaders Matthew Brent Goettsche and Russ Medlin continues.
Please note: The agreement includes a clause that obligates restitution to the victims.
BitClub Case Summary:
Defendants Goettsche, Balaci, and Weeks have been charged with fraud through BitClub Network, soliciting investments in fake cryptocurrency mining pools from April 2014 to December 2019, obtaining at least $722 million. They also sold unregistered securities.
Sentencing dates:
- Joby Weeks: September 19, 2024
- Joe Abel: September 18, 2024
- Silviu Balaci: September 24, 2024
Delays are due to evidence processing in Matthew Goettsche’s case. The discovery and freezing of defendants’ assets provide reassurance to victims.
No new updates; further announcements are expected soon.
Information about the current case being prosecuted in Belgrade by the High-Tech Crime Prosecution Office.
Grandpacifictrade is a scam, a fake trading platform. It was an organized fraud through a call center. The companies Olympus Prime and Asgard from Belgrade provided a semblance of legality. The suspects have been arrested, and criminal proceedings are underway in Belgrade.
We represent victims who responded to an ad for the Grand Pacific Trade platform (www.grandpacifictrade.com), which is no longer accessible. After making an initial deposit via credit card, the victims opened accounts and were contacted by a so-called senior manager from the company. In this criminal case, most victims are from Canada, Australia, Germany, and other EU countries.
Zoran Miljakovic
Attorney at Law