Grimy Times has learned that Martin Schlaepfer, a 67-year-old Swiss national, pleaded guilty to participating in a multimillion-dollar securities fraud scheme after living abroad as a fugitive for nearly 11 years.
According to court documents, Schlaepfer, who identified himself as the Chief Executive Officer of Malom Group AG, a purported Swiss investment company, began orchestrating the scheme in October 2009, along with his co-conspirators in Switzerland and Las Vegas, Nevada.
Schlaepfer and his co-conspirators told victims that, for an up-front payment, Malom would provide access to lucrative investment opportunities and substantial cash loans. To effectuate this scheme, the co-conspirators provided victims with fabricated bank documents purporting to show that Malom held hundreds of millions of dollars in overseas bank accounts.
When victims wired their money into an escrow account controlled by the co-conspirators, the money was released and disbursed to, among others, Schlaepfer for his own personal use. As a result of the scheme, victims were defrauded of approximately $6 million.
Schlaepfer was indicted in December 2013. He was arrested in Italy in September 2024, pursuant to an Interpol Red Notice, and extradited to the United States in July 2025.
Three of Schlaepfer’s co-conspirators, Anthony Brandel, James Warras, and Sean Finn, were found guilty of conspiracy and multiple counts of wire fraud and securities fraud following separate jury trials. They were each sentenced to 87 months in prison. A fourth defendant, Joseph Micelli, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and securities fraud in 2015 and was sentenced to 60 months in prison. A fifth defendant, Hans-Jurg Lips, remains at large outside the United States.
Schlaepfer pleaded guilty to securities fraud and is scheduled to be sentenced on June 9. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Related Federal Cases
- Lowell Gene “Bob” Hancher, Wire and Securities Fraud, IN, 2013 · Indiana
- Martin Sagaga Lio Jr, Mail Theft, Nevada 2024 · Texas
- Howard Hsu, Tax Fraud Conspiracy, Nevada 2024 · California
- Sean Christopher Sladek, Investment Fraud Scheme, Nevada 2024 · California
- Ofelia Ronquillo, Tax Return Fraud, Nevada 2024 · Wisconsin
Key Facts
- State: Nevada
- Category: White Collar Crime|Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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