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Some people lost their life savings while others lost their dreams in a $900 million fraud that was described as one of the largest Ponzi schemes in history and left behind 1 million victims.
Investors in ‘Zeek’ had taken out loans and mortgages on their homes expecting to get a 125% return on their investment. Victims included the parents of a leukemia patient who were trying to pay for their daughter’s hospital visits. And while some of the money was recovered, people in towns like Lexington, North Carolina, where ZeekRewards had its office, are still suffering. Zeek’s victims were working class people who didn’t understand what they were getting into.
Zeek CEO Paul Burks, who made millions from the scheme, was convicted of wire and mail fraud and sentenced to 14 years in prison in the first year of the Trump administration. Burks (pictured above) filed multiple appeals, claiming that COVID poses a risk to his health (he contracted a mild case) that were rejected by the court. And that was that until Biden commuted his sentence.
The Zeek CEO was one of a number of major fraudsters who were liberated by Biden in his rash of pardons and commutations. While Biden had long claimed that “no one is above the law”, beginning with his corrupt pardon of his son, the outgoing president has set out to demonstrate that the law is worthless for some of the worst convicted crooks in the country.
Biden commuted the sentence of James Fry, a hedge fund manager convicted in the Petters Group $1.9 billion Ponzi scheme described as “one of the largest and most complex Ponzi schemes in U.S. history” and was accused of having “raised hundreds of millions of dollars from investors” while working alongside a convicted criminal. He also commuted the sentence of Timothy McGinn, one half of a pair of brokers accused of defrauding 900 investors of $136 million, who had been sentenced to 15 years in prison. Victims included a father of two wounded veterans who had been putting aside the money for their expenses.
Former CEO Eric Bloom, who got 14 years in prison, after being accused of committing the “biggest fraud in Chicago court history” in what was described as a $665 million fraud scheme also got a pass from Biden. So did former CEO Gregory J. Podlucky, who ran a bottled water company and had been accused of a $685 million pyramid fraud loan scheme in which the money was spent on jewels and toy trains, and had been sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Gregory McKnight, who ran a $72 million Ponzi scheme that targeted at least 3,000 investors in every state in the country, had been sentenced to 15 years in prison before Biden stepped in.
Marc Dreier, had been sentenced to 20 years in prison for a $740 million Ponzi scheme with losses to investors estimated at $400 million, also got a helping hand from the White House.
Biden seemed to have a soft spot for Ponzi fraudsters and his commutations included Nevin Shapiro, sentenced to 20 years in prison for a $930 million Ponzi scheme that made headlines because of its Miami connection, Brian Callahan, sentenced to 12 years in prison for a $96 million Ponzi scheme that caused some to lose their life savings, and Joseph Shereshevsky, sentenced to 22 years in prison for a $255 million Ponzi scheme that defrauded 1,200 investors.
Other ‘smaller time’ fraudsters freed by Biden included Gary McDuff, sentenced to 25 years, for an $11 million investment fraud scheme, Gordon Driver, sentenced to 12 years in prison for a $17 Ponzi scheme with around 150 victims, Christopher Swartz who had been sentenced to 12 years in prison after defrauding over 150 investors out of $21 million, and Andrew Mackey, sentenced to 27 years in prison for a $12 million Ponzi scheme with 150 victims.
Biden also intervened on behalf of Henry Ramer, sentenced to 13 years in prison for defrauding over 200 investors out of over $3 million, Rodney Phelps, who had been sentenced to 9 years in prison for defrauding victims out of $2.4 million in a Ponzi scheme, Leslie John Hamilton Jr who had been sentenced to 25 years in prison for ripping off over 400 investors of $14 million in a pyramid scheme, and James Turek, sentenced to 18 years in prison for defrauding 8,500 investors out of over 18 million.
Biden also extended his hand to fellow corrupt government officials including Rita Crundwell, the former comptroller of Dixon, Illinois, who had embezzled over $53 million to fund her horse breeding business in what was described as “the largest theft of public funds in state history”, Cuyahoga County county commissioner and county Democratic Party chairman Jimmy Dimora who had been sentenced to 28 years in prison, and Judge Michael Conahan, who became notorious as the ‘kids-for-cash’ judge for a scheme that involved sending kids to prison in exchange for kickbacks. The judge’s actions have been blamed for at least one suicide.
After giving his son a blanket pardon that would potentially cover legal issues emerging from his tax problems, Biden chose to also intervene on behalf of Paul Daugerdas: a lawyer who had been sentenced to 15 years in prison for manufacturing $7 billion fake tax deductions in what was described as “the biggest tax fraud prosecution ever.”
Health care fraud was also a popular theme in Biden’s commutations including James Burkhart, a former CEO of the American Senior Communities nursing home chain who “abused his official position of trust to steal tax payer dollars intended to benefit this community’s sick, elderly and mentally challenged”, Elaine Lovett, the owner of a medical billing company involved in a $26 Medicare fraud case, Millicent Traylor, accused of taking part in an $8.9 million Medicare fraud scheme and Babubhai Patel, who controlled 26 pharmacies in Detroit, and provided kickbacks to doctors to prescribe expensive drugs, and numerous other health care fraudsters as well.
As well as the more serious case of Dr. Meera Sachdeva, a former Misssissipi oncologist who was accused of using expired and diluted chemotherapy medications and whose clinic reused needles resulting in possible infections and deaths.
Considering the involvement of James Biden and Joe Biden’s own physician in the Americore scandal, that may be a prelude for pardons coming in for Biden family members and associates.
While Biden is not the first president to pardon and commute sentences for fraudsters, both the dollar amounts and the number of victims in these cases are staggering. Due to complicated recovery processes it is difficult to estimate the total amount of losses for victims, but the total amounts of money involved in these cases approaches $5 billion with over 1 million victims.
No president has ever left office bailing out individuals who did so much harm to so many.
Later investigations may determine whether, as with Bill Clinton’s Marc Rich pardon, there was a ‘pay-to-play’ element, but the sheer amount of wealth makes it unlikely that there wasn’t.
Bill Clinton’s legacy was forever scarred by the Marc Rich pardon. Biden’s legacy, already dripping with corruption, is now that of the most corrupt man to occupy the White House.
“No one is above the law,” Biden told us, before pardoning his son and executing a mass jailbreak of some of the worst financial scammers and fraudsters in the United States.
Pardon Me Biden will go down in history and the Nations biggest aider and abettor in American History and I after he leave the Whitehouse he becomes Hermit and lives way out in the middle nowhere without a Address
He’ll live in a posh, gated area free of any illegals or islamists (as was demonstrated in Martha’s vineyard).
Those unwanted are only to be dumped on the unwashed conservative districts.
You have a point about his future solitude.
When Kamala told us “Joe you’re not going anywhere”, what she & every other liberal meant was “Joe, you’re not going anywhere with us.”
Does anyone believe there was no quid pro quo for the Biden assistance? He money laundered as VP with bribes, I’m sure a search now would expose his pardon largess!!
The Biden should be charged with treason and if convicted face a firing squad.
The feds should take down all photos of Biden, authorize no money for any library, and when he dies not permit any public recognition of his existence.
The only surprise in all of this is that he didn’t pardon any pedophiles. I guess that hit too close to home…
You’re right.
His low-life son was pardoned earlier in the first, self-serving round.
Well,the fact pardons override faith in our country’s judicial system Comprised and made up for We the People it also overrules the best interests of we the people which our judicial system is supposed to ensure.
Because of this fact,An acknowledgement of this reality can be made in the future and presidential pardons stricken down as not a worthy process to to use.
Due process,truth and judicial clarity to render justice quickly and fairly must be demonstrated and especially between administration changes.
Ponsi schemes are not valid in this process ,neither are Biden family for that matter.
Overriding justice is never a good thing to do.For continuity and respect of our governing system and the constitution,due process must prevail.
People like January 6th or any lawfare tactics must be attended to promptly and integrity of decision making, judicial reform to squash out of existence lawfare,and corruption in our top branches of our government .With corrective measures of the incoming administration and it’s landslide victory in election delegating authority and capabilities,majority in house and Senate opportunity is available to fairly and reform all duties of and requirements of our governing system to ensure integrity and fair intelligent policies are made to reflect total justice and transparency in our government.
You better believe that Joe Big Guy got a nice thank you 10% from a Cayman Islands of Swiss bank account.
It’s good to be king. Not sure where I heard that from.
History of the World Pt1 — Mel Brooks
Mel Brooks.
He’s a funny mofo. “The History of the World Part One..”
“Pull!” the Frenchy aristocracy would launch the peasants into the air and shoot them like skeets .He even had “Jews in Space” At the end. They were dancing some kind of Jewish jig after they blew up the Death Star or whatever. Their space ship was shaped like a Star of David and i’m pretty sure it corn holed another space ship.
Yeah, he was funny 🙂
About Ponzi Schemes, so many people fall for them. It is a good example where weak thinking about math and economics show up.
Another tangent I’ve never seen mentioned is that sometimes the originator of a Ponzi Scheme didn’t intend to run a scam, but it worked so well at first that he kept with it until it blew up.
I APPLIED FOR A LIFETIME PARDON for the crimes I will commit once I get one. I suspect that the morning of J20 I will get that call… and guess what…. just in time for the Super Bowl. I’ve always wanted a 100inch TV to watch the Crotch-Grabbing cRappers in the half-time show, or maybe some RAISED BLACK POWER FISTS like Beyonce’s show. Either way, it’s all promoting Black Supremacists. Want one too? Contact: “Looters ‘R Us @ Obama & Soros Inc.. ***Only Smash & Dash Items at this time. Viva Che! Viva Obama! Viva Biden!” (COME ON MAN…. The Big Guy is going to get his 10%!)
HAS THERE EVER BEEN A TIME with this much corruption, Pay for Play, kickbacks, secret bank accounts, Foreign Under-the-Table Cash, Payoffs? The Biden’s was so obvious and yet, nothing happens to them. Hunter got his pardon, but he’ll slip once the Camera Lights are off. An Addict is an Addict Forever and The Big Daddy won’t be there to save him. What about the other Biden’s… pardons too and why would they get one? Then there’s Liz Cheney whose Darth Vader Daddy is advising her and is still using his decades of contacts to go after her, and his, political opponents. Pardons BEFORE allegations and indictments IS A SURE SIGN THEY DID COMMIT CRIMES!
“JUSTICE IS NOT REVENGE!” Lady Liberty demands Justice. History Books need complete and truthful Chapters that begin with OBAMA till all this is played out no matter how long it takes. “NO JUSTICE… NO PEACE!”
What do these people have in common?
They or their F&F gave Biden a lot of $, or what?
Not to be silenced, Dick Durbin served up his own list of Trump’s prior pardons of billionaires. Durbin didn’t do the math of what the white collar crimes inflicted on others, though. It’s all just for show.
“The single greatest mass jailbreak of corrupt scammers in history.” This is how Democrats operate and buy votes. This is why working people are turning against the democrook party.
JOE BIDEN: ethically and morally depraved gamer lawyer. Just what the Democrat Party excells in advancing!
Proof that the Biden DOJ is not only corrupt but is pure evil
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2024/12/proof_that_the_biden_doj_is_not_only_corrupt_but_is_pure_evil.html
And now, with the hundreds of pardons Biden has issued, beginning with his criminal son, we all know exactly how corrupt Biden and his pals really are. Obviously, many of those granted clemency and commutations are paying big bucks for their freedom or clear record. Some were likely deserved…but most were essentially purchased. Clinton sold pardons too, but not this many. Biden is a thug who has largely pardoned thugs. Will the country ever recover from the damage done by the Biden administration? Only time will tell. Will our fully-Marxist left ever realize how much they have undermined every principle on which America was founded? They will continue to try to block every aspect of Trump’s agenda they can out of spite. Our left are a nasty bunch, a cabal of angry bullies. Biden’s mass pardons, clemencies, and commutations will forever be a blot on his already horrendous legacy. For more information on who has received pardons, see the links below.
New Deep State theme….”BAD BOYS, BAD BOYS……WHATCHA GONNA DO, WHATCHA GONNA DO WHEN THEY COME FOR YOU. BAD BOYS, BAD BOYS.”
Don’t know why I’m so shocked at the staggering number of billionaire Ponzi
scheme grifters there are when for years we’ve been confronted everyday
by evil, Left political leaders – all of whom are cut from the same cloth.
Nothing shows that better than Big Guy Biden granting a pardon to
oncologist Dr. Meera Sachdeva addressed in this article. She actually gave
partial doses of chemo to cancer-ridden people then charged them for the
full amount. She got 20 years for her crime but was pardoned by Biden.
That would be the same Biden whose own son died of brain cancer.
Whether demented Biden – among the over a thousand he has pardoned –
is actually aware of this woman doctor’s deeds doesn’t matter. He is – and
always has been – as ensnared in deceit and corruption as the rest of the
Left’s politicians and grifters.
Why has the MENTAL CAPACITY of Joe Biden not been discussed regarding his LEGAL MENTAL CAPACITY to even ISSUE anything that is binding? One has to be MENTALLY CAPABLE of entering into a LEGAL CONTRACT – Joe obviously could not pass a test to establish he is MENTALLY COMPETENT! All these pardons should be NULLIFIED due to this diminished mental state! I would bet that he can’t even READ his pardons and explain what it means!
This insanity must stop – SOMEONE with a National Exposure should be calling the legality of his actions into question!
Biden is senile. Who is compiling these lists and what kickbacks can they receive?
I’m surprised that Sam Bankman-Fried isn’t on the list.
What happened? Did his check to The Biden Retirement Fund bounce?
The POS has given so much to the DNC already, so what else does the flaming liberal gotta do to get his??
There’s still time to get on the list for SBF.
Looks to me like a get-out-of-jail for a payment scheme. Classic selling of influence political corruption is what this appears to be considering the Biden track record. Trump should have someone monitor closely every contribution the Biden family and related entities receive.
Obviously, neither the pudding eater or his accessory wife Jill never knew any of these people. So, we must find out who got Obama’s ear. Its getting about time for the Star Chamber for the victims of Obama and the other Atheist genocidal NWO government types. I am sensing 1789 coming soon to a govt leader near you……
https://t.me/globaldissident/6874
We know that Biden is senile. Who is compiling these lists and what kickbacks can they receive?
Once he’s out of office a determination of his non compostf mentis needs to be arranged, and his “pardons” reversed, having been acts of a crazy man.
This kind of fraudster is quite often a PSYCHOPATH and they go right back to their narcissistic natures, destroying MORE lives. Has anyone heard an explanation why these duly sentenced criminals are set free?
The victims whose lives have been destroyed and went to the court for justice are now DEPRIVED of justice
by the whims of a senile criminal child molester.
When you consider the level of outrage from the political left for these pardons, you kind 0f have to wonder if the leadership of the Democrat party is a criminal enterprise.
Don’t you know that Jo is selling these pardons and Hunter is still the bag man. Jo is pardoning only those who have millions stashed away or who stole millions. You can be assured that there will be funds issued to Mafia Jo LLC and cleaned thru multiple LLC in foreign accounts. 1500 pardons @$1M is $1.5Billion.
̶1̶0̶%̶ 90% goes to Krusty Joe The Silver Hair Baboon.
Truly a bunch of really evil looking Dickensian filth.
You are now only wondering If???…..
We’ve all seen the TV shows where some terminally ill judge sanctions hits on all these scumbags. It’s still possible that this great country has some hangin’ judges that take justice seriously.
Everyone of these pardoned dirtbags will be looking over his shoulder for the rest of their lives. And when they ‘mysteriously’ start dropping like flies, the people of the USA will be quietly smiling…
No J6ers. No military personnel accused of ROE. No FACE act “violators.” No Americans caught up in the government’s endless and contradictory regulatory codes.
Also … no terrorists? (like Clinton) … and no drug dealers? (like Obama) …
But there’s still time.
When Joe Biden was a possible candidate in 2015, I said Joe Biden is a crook. He has come a long way in proving that he is so much better described as a crook’s crook.
Birds of a criminal feather flock together. A corrupt Prez pardons financial evil doers just like himself.
The amount of people, OVER A MILLION, that got ripped off by those scumbaggs Biden pardoned must be huge, there’s got to be a whole chorus of pissed off “whistleblowers” out there willing to expose details, money movements, tell all’s and useful information.
I expect as soon as Trump has got rid of all the leftist idiots in FBI, CIA and other gov depts tasked with (supposedly) looking after us, they’ll start closing in on those types, the IRD if given the right mission could do some serious damage..
You could guarantee those scumbags Biden pardoned will have other situations they don’t want the IRD etc … (or anyone) to find out about. The IRD has a huge amount of power and can make life very difficult if they set their sights on one person ..
And that doesn’t even touch on the micky mousing that went on in the time slot just before they were pardoned ..
Hunter would have been very busy … it’s the old story all you have to do is …. FOLLOW THE MONEY
Who among Bidemented’s staff are pushing pardons exonerating heinous criminals in front of him to sign, blackening his rep even more (didn’t think that was possible) so his entry in the Presidential lexicon will be just one big ink blot?
No surprise that Biden paroned Democrat criminals.
While they are all vile, Judge Michael Conahan, who sent young, innocent kids to prison where they were brutally raped, beaten and probably tortured —- the depravity of that greedy monster!
Two of the dumbest and most execrable sociopaths, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris —- one hopes they truly meet their karma!
Thieves of a feather flock together…………
Why do perpetrators of these kind of crimes only get jail time to begin with? How about paying back everything they stole and maybe some more as a fine?
To the aggrieved; your tormentors are now available. I for one, didn’t see a thing.
Thanks Daniel. If you weren’t writing about these things, no one would ever know.
Biden is just taking care of his own.