Acting United States Attorney Gregory G. Brooker today announced the filing of a felony information charging ALEX REAVES LUNDIN, 25, with conspiracy for her role in a $1 million Ponzi scheme orchestrated by her husband, Jeremy Lundin. LUNDIN will make her initial appearance in U.S. District Court at a later date. Jeremy Lundin, who has already pled guilty to charges of mail fraud and money laundering for his role in orchestrating the scheme, is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 1, 2018.
According to the information, from approximately December 2014 through May 2017, Jeremy Lundin claimed that he conducted “options trading" through his business Big Island Capital. He worked through a network of associates and friends to solicit investors by promising to generate exponential growth through options trading, and obtained more than $1 million from 51 investors over a roughly two-year period. However, instead of using the funds for options trading, Jeremy Lundin and LUNDIN spent investors’ money to fund their lavish lifestyle.
According to the information, as part of the scheme, Jeremy Lundin provided investors with a “Welcome Packet," consisting of an “Investment Advisory Agreement" and other materials describing his business. Through these materials, Jeremy Lundin claimed that Big Island Capital investments earned a 67 percent rate of return in 2013 and a 97.8 percent rate of return in 2014. In order to appear legitimate and promote his scheme, Jeremy Lundin also created phony account statements which commonly and falsely showed double-digit gains on a weekly or quarterly basis. Between May 2015 and May 2017, at least $992,000 in investor funds was deposited into Jeremy Lundin’s “Big Island Capital" bank account. During roughly the same time period, however, Jeremy Lundin transferred $933,950 from the business account directly into his and LUNDIN’s personal checking account. The couple then used the majority of those investor funds on their personal expenses including travel, luxury automobiles, a boat, jewelry, retail purchases, and more than $366,000 in credit card payments.
According to the information, after LUNDIN became aware that her husband was not conducting options trading as he promised investors, she continued to assist him in carrying out the scheme by, among other actions, soliciting new investors and drafting correspondence intended to lull current victim-investors into believing their money was safe, despite knowing that she and Jeremy Lundin had spent all of the investor funds on personal expenses.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Criminal Investigation Division of the IRS, Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, and Minnesota Department of Commerce Fraud Bureau.
Assistant United States Attorney Amber M. Brennan is prosecuting the case.
Defendant Information:
ALEX REAVES LUNDIN, 25
Mound, Minn.
Charges:
* Conspiracy to commit mail fraud, 1 count
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
