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  • 21 Aug, 2019

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Reed Slatkin
Reed Eliot Slatkin (January 22, 1949 – June 23, 2015) was an initial investor and co-founder of EarthLink and the perpetrator of one of the largest Ponzi schemes in the United States since that conducted by Charles Ponzi himself.

Slatkin had been an ordained Scientology minister since 1975. Around 1984, he changed from being a full-time minister to becoming a self-employed investor, and many of his investment clients and victims were also Scientologists.

Ponzi scheme

From 1986 to 2001, Slatkin raised approximately $593 million from about 800 wealthy investors. Using the funds from later investors, he paid one group of early investors $279M on their original $128M investment, citing investment success without actually making most of the claimed investments. He also distributed millions in fees to associates as "consultants". An investigation by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) shut down the scheme in 2001. In May 2001, the SEC shut down Slatkin's scheme by filing an enforcement action and obtaining a temporary restraining order freezing his remaining assets. On the same day as the SEC action, the Federal Bureau of Investigation executed search warrants relating to Slatkin.

The SEC brought the civil case in SEC v. Slatkin, Civil Action No. 01-04823 (C.D. Cal.). The Central District of California brought the criminal case in U.S. v. Reed E. Slatkin, CR 02-313 (C.D. Cal.).

He funneled millions of dollars to the Church of Scientology and related entities, and many of his victims were Scientologists. Victims of his scheme include actors Joe Pantoliano, Anne Archer, Giovanni Ribisi, producers Art Linson and Armyan Bernstein, film composer Mark Isham, and commentator Greta Van Susteren.

Guilty plea and post-conviction

Slatkin pleaded guilty to mail fraud, wire fraud, money laundering, and obstruction of justice and on September 2, 2003, he was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison.

His Federal Bureau of Prisons registration number was 24057-112 and he was initially incarcerated at the low-security Taft Community Correctional Institution in Taft, California. By 2010, he had been transferred to the low-security Lompoc Federal Correctional Institution in Lompoc, California.

Many of his victims were also Scientologists. In his fraud case, his lawyers blamed his behavior on Scientology; but Scientology's lawyers from Latham & Watkins characterized Slatkin's explanations as "shameful" and having "sold the psychiatrists a bill of goods".

In July 2013, he was released from a halfway house in Long Beach, California.

On June 23, 2015, journalist Tony Ortega reported on his website that Slatkin had died from a heart attack. Ortega said that he had confirmation of Slatkin's death from Slatkin's ex-wife.

In February 2008, the television show American Greed featured the Slatkin case, titled "Stealing $$$ from Scientologists".

References

  1. ^ "Inmate Locator". Federal Bureau of Prisons. Retrieved January 17, 2011.
  2. ^ Staff (March 27, 2002). "Earthlink co-founder charged with fraud, money laundering". CNN. Time Warner. Retrieved June 12, 2008.
  3. ^ Tkacik, Maureen (March 27, 2002). "EarthLink Co-Founder Slatkin Admits to Fraud in Ponzi Scheme". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved June 11, 2008.
  4. ^
  5. ^ Neilson, R. Todd (December 17, 2001). "First Interim Report of the Trustee and the Creditors Committee Under 11 U.S.C. §§ 1103, 1106(a)(3)-(4)". In re Reed E. Slatkin, Debtor (Bk. No. ND 01-11549-RR). Retrieved January 17, 2011. In 1975, Slatkin was ordained a minister in the Church of Scientology (the "Church" or "Scientology"). From 1974 through approximately 1984, Slatkin and his wife did volunteer work for the Church on a full time basis. ... It appears that most of Slatkin's early, as well as present, business associations relate to his affiliation with Scientology, and a large number of the present investors came to Slatkin for advice because of their mutual involvement with Scientology.
  6. ^ Liz Pulliam Weston. "The Basics: 7 reasons to fire your financial adviser". MSN Money. Microsoft. Archived from the original on May 1, 2006. Retrieved August 5, 2006.
  7. ^ "Lr16998".
  8. ^ "USAO/CDCA Press Release". www.justice.gov. Archived from the original on December 27, 2005. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
  9. ^ Reckard, E. Scott (November 8, 2006). "Scientology groups to pay back $3.5 million". Los Angeles Times. p. C1. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007.
  10. ^ Stiles, Greg (January 27, 2002). "Fixer-uppers and fishy deals". Mail Tribune.
  11. ^ "United States Trustee Program Annual Report of Significant Accomplishments: Fiscal Year 2002" (PDF). United States Department of Justice. pp. 33–34. Retrieved March 9, 2009. The Woodland Hills office obtained appointment of a Chapter 11 trustee in the bankruptcy case of Reed Slatkin, co-founder of Internet service provider Earthlink Inc., based on allegations that he operated a Ponzi scheme through which he misappropriated over $230 million, defrauded more than 500 investors, concealed $90 million in accounts, and commingled investor funds with personal funds. Criminal charges were later filed against Slatkin, and he pleaded guilty to 15 counts of mail fraud, wire fraud, money laundering, and conspiracy to obstruct justice in connection with an investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission.
  12. ^ "SANTA BARBARA MAN SENTENCED TO 14 YEARS FOR RUNNING $600 MILLION PONZI SCHEME THAT PREYED ON FRIENDS FOR OVER 15 YEARS". Archived from the original on February 11, 2007. Retrieved December 26, 2006.
  13. ^ Berkowitz, Ben (September 2, 2003). "Ex-EarthLink Executive Is Heading to Jail". Reuters. Archived from the original on August 4, 2004. Retrieved January 17, 2011.
  14. ^ "Ponzi King Reed Slatkin Freed". July 8, 2013.
  15. ^ Ortega, Tony (June 23, 2015). "Reed Slatkin dies of heart attack — Scientologist served time as major Ponzi schemer". The Underground Bunker. Retrieved June 25, 2015.
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