Christopher Hamilton’s OneCoin cash laundering indictment has been unsealed.
Initially filed again in March 2019, Hamilton’s indictment particulars two counts of fraud.
As per his indictment, Hamilton labored with co-conspirator Robert MacDonald to launder over $100 million for OneCoin.
Hamilton (proper) and MacDonald structured their transfers in such a means as to “conceal and disguise the character, location, supply, possession, and management of the proceeds”.
In different phrases, basic cash laundering.
Cited as wire fraud, one OneCoin transaction noticed Hamilton and MacDonald switch round $40 million from China to the US.
As an alternative of reaching OneCoin’s banking channels nonetheless, Hamilton and MacDonald diverted the funds to
financial institution accounts managed by Hamilton and MacDonald in different Asian and European international locations.
One of many corporations Hamilton and MacDonald created and used is Viola Cash – additionally utilized by the not too long ago collapsed Ponzi scheme Omega Professional.
After Viola Cash Hamilton began up Blukite Group Restricted in 2020. Whether or not Blukite Group was additionally used to launder cash for Ponzi schemes is unclear.
For his or her efforts in aiding OneCoin defraud shoppers, the DOJ charged Hamilton and MacDonald with
- one depend of conspiracy to commit wire fraud; and
- one depend of conspiracy to commit cash laundering.
Hamilton and MacDonald had been arrested within the UK again in 2019. The US filed for extradition however solely secured Hamilton’s switch.
MacDonald was granted an enchantment in opposition to extradition on humanitarian grounds.
McDonald is the carer for his “extraordinarily sick” spouse who suffers from progressive a number of sclerosis, and has expressed “clear and real suicidal intent, within the occasion he had been to be extradited,” the judgment reads.
As of August 2022, Hamilton’s extradition to the US was pending. Following the unsealing of his indictment and prison case, Hamilton is believed to have been extradited.
That mentioned, I used to be unable to search out him as a BOP inmate. Pending affirmation he’s been extradited, Hamilton’s standing stays unclear.
If convicted Hamilton faces as much as 40 years in jail. He can even must forfeit his OneCoin ill-gotten beneficial properties.
