Florida woman Alexandra Robert has been charged in an alleged $1 million Ponzi scheme targeting Haitians.
According to a statement released by the U.S. Securities And Exchange Mission, Robert–of Haitian descent–was charged with allegedly using a “Ponzi-like” scheme to cheat 80 investors out of about $900,000. The release alleged that she had done so through an unregistered securities offering, including to Haitians in South Florida, via herself and her two companies: Chalala Academy LLC and Lendvesting Academy Corp.
From 2020 to 2021, the agency stated, Robert and her two companies allegedly offered investment programs that promised “risk-free” returns up to 48% and made false claims to unsuspecting investors online.
“As alleged, Robert and the two companies made statements on the company’s website and via social media claiming they raised more than $4 million from more than 1,000 investors, paid out $2.6 million in profits to investors, and were going to pay guaranteed investment returns from underwriting loans to small businesses,” the SEC said.
The agency added that she even posted promotional social media videos in Haitian Creole, encouraging members of the Haitian and Haitian-American communities in South Florida to invest. Instead of following through on her investment strategy, however, the Palm Beach County woman allegedly used some of the money she raised to invest in cryptocurrency for herself, to make the car, rent, and education payments, buy beauty supplies and pay for cosmetic surgery.
The SEC’s complaint was reportedly filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, charging Robert and her companies with violating the registration and antifraud provisions of the Securities Act of 1933, among other charges.
“The SEC seeks permanent injunctive relief, disgorgement of allegedly ill-gotten gains plus prejudgment interest, civil penalties against each of the defendants and an officer-and-director bar against Robert,” the agency said. “The SEC’s investigation was part of the Miami Regional Office’s Fraud Against Minority Groups Initiative.”
