By Stan Welch
Two brothers from Arizona have become the latest suspects entangled in the Ponzi scheme run by former Anderson County Council member Ron Wilson. Gordon and Benton Hall have been indicted and arrested on charges related to the efforts of the brothers to help another defendant in the case hide and retain at least $1.5 million he allegedly accrued during his involvement in the scheme.
A co-conspirator of Ron Wilson has pled quilty to wire fraud conspiracy in connection with a ponzi scheme Wilson is currently serving time for. According to United States Attorney Bill Nettles, Wallace Lindsey Howell, age 61, of Mauldin, pled guilty in federal court in Greenville, to a wire fraud conspiracy, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1349.
United States District Judge J. Michelle Childs of Greenville accepted the plea and will impose sentence after he has reviewed the presentence report which will be prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.
Evidence presented at the change of plea hearing established that Howell recommended Wilson’s investment program to numerous people and received “commissions” from Wilson for investors he brought in. The indictment focused on two clients introduced to Wilson’s investment scheme by Howell.
By Stan Welch
Less than a year after his silver securities scheme came crashing down around him, former Anderson County Councilman Ron Wilson has landed as softly as could be hoped, in a federal prison camp in Florida.
Wilson, sentenced to nineteen and a half years, will, barring future developments, serve that time in a minimum security facility in Sumter County Florida. Orlando is fifty miles away, and Tampa is seventy five miles away.
Ronnie Gene Wilson (left) arrives for sentencing at the court house in Greenville Tuesday.
By Stan Welch
Ronnie Gene Wilson, former Anderson County Councilman from the Powdersville area, was sentenced to 235 months, or approximately 19.5 years in federal prison Tuesday afternoon. He was also ordered to make restitution in the amount of $57.4 million. The sentence is the result of Wilson’s plea of guilty to two counts of mail fraud, in association with a $90 million Ponzi scheme run by Wilson.
Ronnie Gene Wilson, age 65, of Easley, was sentenced to 235 months in prison for his involvement in a Silver Ponzi scheme, according to a statement by United States Attorney Bill Nettles on Tuesday.
United States District Judge J. Michelle Childs of Greenville imposed sentence after hearing from victims, the Government, and Wilson. She also ordered Wilson to pay $57 million in restitution to the 798 victims of the fraud. At the close of the proceedings, Wilson was taken into custody by the United States Marshals.
Ron Wilson (right) leaves a Greenville Courthouse as reporters follow.
By Stan Welch – A federal receiver has been appointed as part of the plea agreement signed by Ron Wilson in connection with his prosecution for mail fraud. Beattie Ashmore, a Greenville attorney was appointed by order of District Court Judge Michelle J. Childs to locate and seize any and all assets of Wilson.
Wilson has agreed to cooperate fully in identifying and locating such assets, so that they can be liquidated and the proceeds applied to compensating Wilson’s victims. Beattie, however, acknowledged to The Journal that the term “full restitution”, as ordered by the court, is more of a legal term than a realistic one.
U. S. Attorney Press conference
By Stan Welch – Federal officials announced Monday afternoon that Ronnie Gene Wilson, former Anderson County Councilman, pled guilty to two charges of federal mail fraud in connection with a $90 million Ponzi scheme he has operated for more than a decade, according to case documents.
U. S. Attorney Bill Nettles led a procession of local, state and federal law enforcement agents into the press conference held in Greenville Monday afternoon. Nettles stressed that the pleas by Wilson were not part of a plea bargain.
Ron Wilson signed a plea agreement Friday, entering a plea of guilty on two charges of federal mail fraud.
According to reports, the agreement states that Wilson defrauded investors between January 2001 and March of 2012, with false pretenses or promises under what is described as investigators as a Ponzi scheme. The scheme involved investment in silver though his Powdersville business, Atlantic Bullion & Coin.
By Stan Welch – Former Anderson County Councilman Ron Wilson’s woes continue as yet another federal agency filed a civil action against him in relation to his sales of silver securities. The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) filed an enforcement action against Wilson and his business, Atlantic Bullion and Coin, focusing on Wilson’s actions during the period between Aug of 2011 and February of this year.
On Preston
By Stan Welch – The legal troubles that have plagued former Anderson County administrator Joey Preston since his buyout in 2008 continue as he has been named in a referral letter from the SC Attorney General’s Office to the state grand jury. The referral letter essentially indicates that the civil investigation may have uncovered evidence of potentially illegal activity and simply passes that information along.
