The Santa Barbara man who allegedly stole $12 million from victims as part of an eight-year-long Ponzi scheme now faces new charges of failing to pay more than $3 million in federal income tax and concealing bank accounts in Monaco.
Darrell Arnold Aviss, 64, has been charged with three counts of tax evasion, six counts of failing to report foreign bank and financial accounts, and one count of aggravated identity theft, on top of his original charges of five counts of wire fraud and six counts of money laundering. He is scheduled to go on trial July 26, 2022.
Aviss was arrested in June 2021 and released in September 2021 on a $200,000 bond. Between 2012 and 2020, Aviss allegedly operated a Ponzi scheme that promised to invest victims’ money in annuities from Swiss insurance companies. Most of the victims were over the age of 60, and most of the $12 million he stole came from a single victim, according to court documents. Aviss allegedly used none of the victim funds to purchase annuities; instead, Aviss reportedly used the money to support his lavish lifestyle, which included luxury cars, U2 concert tickets, expensive watches, and trips to Monaco.
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Aviss also arranged for the victims to receive statements showing the value of the annuities were…
