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Hamlet Peralta, 37, Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for $12 Million Ponzi Scheme
Former Harlem restaurant owner Hamlet Peralta was sentenced to five years in prison for running a multimillion-dollar Ponzi scheme that swindled millions of dollars from unsuspecting investors.
Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim said, ‘Hamlet Peralta swindled millions of dollars from investors who trusted him because of his reputation in the community as a business owner and restaurateur. Peralta deceived investor after investor through bald lies and forged documents, enticing them with high returns on investments he never made.’
Peralta, 37, of the Bronx, New York, solicited more than $12 million from multiple investors by falsely representing that the investors’ money would be used to engage in wholesale liquor distribution for a profit. He provided investors with forged invoices and other documentation, purporting to establish the high volume of liquor he bought from licensed wholesalers in New York and sold to wholesale and retail clients for a profit.
In truth, however, Peralta misappropriated the millions of dollars in investments he received. He took out much of the money in cash and used some of it to support his lifestyle and to rehabilitate a failing restaurant he owned. Peralta purchased very little liquor and had no profits with which to pay back investors.
Peralta was sentenced by United States District Judge Katherine B. Forrest to five years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to forfeit $5,079,000 and to pay restitution of $5,079,000.
Mr. Kim praised the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the NYPD Internal Affairs Bureau. The case is being handled by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit.
Peralta’s scheme was uncovered after multiple investors reported being defrauded. The investigation revealed that Peralta had obtained approximately $12 million from investors, but had failed to pay back more than $5 million of that money.
Key Facts
- State: New York
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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