Ian Parker Bick, High-Pressure Investment Scam, CT, 2023

Danbury man Ian Parker Bick, 21, is headed to federal prison for running a high-pressure investment scam that swindled more than 15 victims out of $480,635. U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Alker Meyer sentenced Bick to 36 months behind bars, followed by three years of supervised release — with the first year to be served under home confinement. The verdict marks the end of a years-long scheme built on lies, luxury, and broken promises.

On November 25, 2015, a jury convicted Bick on six counts of wire fraud and one count of money laundering after a trial that peeled back layers of deception. Bick, who operated out of Danbury-based shell companies like This Is Where It’s At Entertainment, LLC, and W&B Investments, LLC, pitched himself as a young entrepreneur with a golden touch. He promised friends, former classmates, and even their parents sky-high returns in weeks — all through fake business ventures.

He claimed investor money would flip electronics — iPhones, tablets, headphones — for massive profits online. He also pushed a fantasy of concert promotions across Connecticut and Rhode Island, falsely stating he’d already raked in big earnings from past events. In reality, no real resale operation launched, and no concerts materialized. The profits? Entirely invented.

Instead of investing a dime as promised, Bick funneled the cash into failed side hustles and straight into his own pocket. Investigators found the money bankrolled hotel stays, jet skis, and other personal luxuries. To keep the lie alive, he used new investor funds to pay fake ‘interest’ and ‘principal returns’ — the classic hallmarks of a Ponzi scheme.

Bick has been in custody since October 4, 2016, when the court revoked his bond. Judge Meyer didn’t just impose prison time — he ordered full restitution to every victim, holding Bick accountable for every dollar stolen. The case was jointly investigated by the FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Connecticut Department of Banking, Danbury Police, and Hartford Police.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael S. McGarry and Christopher W. Schmeisser prosecuted the case. Federal authorities urge anyone who suspects financial fraud to call 855-236-9740 or email ctsecuritiesfraud@ic.fbi.gov. As Bick heads to prison, his victims are left counting losses — and waiting for justice to pay back what was stolen.