Antonio Peña, Gold Bar Scam, Kentucky 2025

Gold Bar Scam Exposed: Two Indicted in Senior Victim Targeting Scheme

Louisville, KY – A federal grand jury in Louisville returned an indictment on August 5, 2025, charging Antonio Peña, 39, and Brandi Durst, 43, for their roles in a "gold bar scam" conspiracy that impacted senior victims in Kentucky and across the United States.

According to court documents, Peña and Durst, who have ties to Florida and New York, respectively, were charged with one count each of wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy. The indictment alleges that between April 2024 and July 2025, they traveled around the United States and collected gold bars from victims who were convinced to liquidate their retirement funds and buy gold.

Unindicted co-conspirators would deceive victims into believing that they were victims of a prior identity theft scam, and that purchasing gold would help protect their assets. Peña and Durst posed as Federal Reserve agents or other government officials, supposedly picking up the gold for safekeeping, only to steal victims’ savings and launder the proceeds.

On August 14, 2025, Peña and Durst were arraigned before a U.S. Magistrate Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. If convicted, each defendant could face a maximum of up to 40 years in prison, in addition to owing fines and victim restitution.

"As alleged in the indictment, these defendants preyed upon folks who were simply trying to secure their retirement nest egg," said U.S. Attorney Kyle G. Bumgarner. "They will be held accountable to the maximum extent of the law."

This case is being investigated by IRS-CI and FBI with assistance from HSI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Corinne E. Keel is prosecuting the case. This case was investigated and prosecuted as part of the National Elder Justice Task Force and the Kentucky Elder Justice Task Force.

The indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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