Dutch national Pieter Roor, 66, stands convicted on multiple counts of financial fraud after a federal jury in Benton, Illinois, found him guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and two substantive counts of wire fraud on February 23, 2018. The verdict marks the end of a high-stakes con that bilked investors out of $5 million through a web-based investment scheme designed to look legitimate.
According to prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Illinois, Roor masterminded and operated online investment programs that promised high returns with little risk. Investors were lured in through slick marketing and false performance reports, only to see their money vanish as Roor funneled funds through offshore accounts and shell companies. At trial, Roor admitted to receiving exactly $5 million from unsuspecting individuals who believed they were making sound financial decisions.
The evidence presented during the trial painted a damning picture of deception. Federal investigators traced electronic transactions, analyzed website operations, and exposed fabricated performance data used to keep the scam afloat. Roor’s own testimony confirmed the flow of money, but he claimed the funds were for legitimate ventures—claims the jury swiftly rejected after deliberation.
Roor now faces a maximum of twenty years in federal prison. Sentencing is scheduled for May 31, 2018, before U.S. District Judge J. Phil Gilbert. In a move signaling the government’s intent to strip him of illicit gains, a preliminary order of asset forfeiture was issued the same day as the verdict, freezing all known assets tied to the fraud.
The investigation was led by the United States Postal Inspection Service, long a key player in financial fraud cases involving mail and electronic communications. They were assisted by the FIOD, the Netherlands’ elite financial crimes unit, in tracking Roor’s international movements and money trails. The collaboration underscores the growing reach of transnational fraud and the tightening net against offshore operators.
U.S. Attorney Donald S. Boyce emphasized that no one is beyond reach, regardless of nationality or distance from American soil. “This case sends a message,” Boyce said in a statement. “If you defraud American investors, we will come after you.” For the victims, justice may be slow—but it’s finally arriving.
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Key Facts
- State: Illinois
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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