March 27, 2024

Source: Department of Justice

A Santa Barbara man who allegedly stole approximately $12 million from victims who thought their investments would be used to purchase annuities today faces new charges of failing to pay over $3 million in federal income tax and concealing bank accounts in Monaco used to hide ill-gotten gains.

A superseding indictment filed today in United States District Court charges Darrell Arnold Aviss, 64, with three counts of tax evasion, six counts of failing to report foreign bank and financial accounts, and one count of aggravated identity theft.

Aviss was arrested last June and initially charged with five counts of wire fraud and six counts of money laundering for allegedly operating a Ponzi scheme that promised to invest victims’ money in annuities from Swiss insurance companies. The original 11 charges are included in today’s superseding indictment that alleges Aviss used none of the victim funds to purchase annuities.

Aviss, who was jailed for about three months before a judge ordered him released in September on a $200,000 bond, is currently scheduled to go on trial July 26. He will be directed to appear for an arraignment on the superseding indictment in the coming weeks.

Aviss allegedly operated the fraud scheme from at least 2012 through mid-2020, soliciting money from people who wanted to purchase annuities from insurance companies based in Switzerland. Even though he arranged for the victims to receive statements showing the value of…

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