Damian Williams, america Legal professional for the Southern District of New York, and Michael J. Driscoll, the Assistant Director in Cost of the New York Subject Workplace of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), introduced the unsealing of a felony Criticism immediately charging JONATHAN GHERTLER with participating in a classy scheme to impersonate senior leaders of two Manhattan-based funding corporations, leading to over $1 million in losses to their portfolio firms, and impersonating a associate of a worldwide regulation agency on phone calls with federal brokers who have been investigating the scheme. GHERTLER was arrested yesterday and shall be introduced within the Center District of Florida on Tuesday.
U.S. Legal professional Damian Williams mentioned: “As alleged, Jonathan Ghertler impersonated a few of the most outstanding figures in finance and regulation to defraud firms of over $1 million and persuade federal investigators to cease their investigation into his scheme. Ghertler is a serial fraudster and has been prosecuted for comparable impersonation schemes and frauds prior to now, together with by this Workplace. At present’s arrest demonstrates this Workplace’s dedication to stopping recidivist fraudsters like Ghertler and to in search of justice for victims of monetary frauds.”
FBI Assistant Director Michael J. Driscoll mentioned: “As alleged, Ghertler impersonated high-level executives at two completely different monetary corporations and directed personnel from these corporations to pay for non-existent inner investigations aimed toward figuring out if there have been hyperlinks between people related to the corporations and Jeffrey Epstein. As well as, when he realized his fraud was being investigated, he impersonated a associate of a regulation agency purportedly representing one of many monetary corporations and tried to persuade federal brokers that no crime had been dedicated. The motion we have now taken immediately will guarantee Ghertler – in his true id – shall be pressured to face the results of his deceit.”
In accordance with the allegations within the Criticism:[1]
From not less than in or about December 2021, as much as and together with not less than June 2022, GHERTLER impersonated the Normal Counsel of a worldwide personal fairness agency (the “Personal Fairness Agency”). In doing so, GHERTLER fraudulently triggered the Personal Fairness Agency’s portfolio firms to pay not less than $200,000 to fund a non-existent inner investigation into alleged hyperlinks between senior staff of the Personal Fairness Agency and Jeffrey Epstein, the deceased financier who, earlier than he died on or about August 10, 2019, had been charged within the Southern District of New York with intercourse trafficking of minors and conspiring to commit intercourse trafficking of minors.
As well as, from not less than Might 2021, as much as and together with February 2023, GHERTLER impersonated the founding father of an funding agency (the “Funding Agency”), directing the Chief Government Officer (the “CEO”) of one of many Funding Agency’s portfolio firms (the “IF Portfolio Firm”) to make not less than $865,000 in funds to fund a non-existent inner investigation associated to the founder’s alleged relationship with Epstein. In current weeks, GHERTLER, posing because the founding father of the Funding Agency, had mentioned with the CEO the opportunity of making a big funding right into a restaurant chain owned by one other funding agency.
On or about February 7, 2023, after studying from the CEO that federal investigators have been investigating a probably fraudulent fee made by the Funding Agency, GHERTLER, posing as a associate (the “Companion”) at a worldwide regulation agency, spoke on the cellphone with Particular Brokers with the FBI. GHERTLER instructed the federal brokers that the IF Portfolio Firm had chosen to not report the fraud as a result of it had been “made complete” by the fraudster.
On or about February 10, 2023, GHERTLER, impersonating the Companion, spoke once more with federal brokers. GHERTLER mentioned, after “seek the advice of[ing]” with “associates and lower-level companions” on the World Legislation Agency who “used to work” at america Legal professional’s Workplace for the Southern District of New York, “our place is that, uh, the regulation states that, umm, you realize, if the cash was paid again previous to, uh, the crime being, uh, found, uh, it’s not against the law.” GHERTLER added that his “shopper [i.e., the founder of the Investment Firm] has a number of different points he’s coping with proper now, so that is one he actually doesn’t must cope with.”
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GHERTLER, 60, of Orlando, Florida, is charged with one rely of wire fraud, which carries a most sentence of 20 years in jail; one rely of aggravated id theft, which carries a compulsory consecutive sentence of two years in jail; and one rely of constructing false statements, which carries a most sentence of 5 years in jail.
The utmost potential sentences on this case are prescribed by Congress and are offered right here for informational functions solely, as any sentencing of the defendant shall be decided by a choose.
Mr. Williams praised the excellent investigative work of the FBI and moreover thanked the Orange County, Florida, Sheriff’s Workplace and Orlando Police Division for his or her help.
This case is being dealt with by the Workplace’s Normal Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Legal professional Adam Sowlati is accountable for the prosecution.
The fees contained within the Criticism are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed harmless except and till confirmed responsible.
[1] Because the introductory phrase signifies, the whole lot of the textual content of the Criticism and the outline of the Criticism set forth on this launch represent solely allegations, and each reality described must be handled as an allegation.