Co-conspirator of FX scam Oasis International Group gets 10-year prison term
U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven has sentenced Joseph S. Anile, II to 10 years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud, money laundering, and filing a false income tax return.
Anile had pleaded guilty on September 26, 2019.
According to court documents, from November 2011 through April 18, 2019, Anile conspired with others to commit wire fraud and mail fraud. Through false and fraudulent representations and material omissions, the conspirators persuaded at least 700 victims to invest more than $72 million in a Forex market fraud known as Oasis International Group.
Anile, a licensed attorney, created offshore entities, secured broker-dealer licenses, drafted promissory notes and disclosures, monitored incoming wire transactions, directed outgoing wire transactions and interacted with victim-investors to help carry out the scheme. The conspirators also developed and administered a “back office” operation to convince victim-investors that their principal balances were safe and that their investments were performing.
In fact, the conspirators used only a portion of the victim-investors’ funds for FX trading, which resulted in heavy losses that were concealed. They used the balance of the victim-investors’ funds to make payments toward expenses associated with perpetuating the scheme, and to purchase million-dollar residential properties, high-end vehicles, gold, silver and other liquid assets, to fund a lavish lifestyle for the conspirators, their family members and friends, and for their personal enrichment.
Anile did not report the victim-investors’ funds he received on his federal income tax returns.
As part of the sentence, the court also entered a money judgment of $3,283,467, the proceeds of the fraud. Anile was also ordered to forfeit his interest in multiple pieces of real property, including a luxury residence in Sarasota, high-end vehicles, currency, gold coins, and silver bars, which are traceable to proceeds of the fraud.