The US Department of Justice announced that Ramil Ventura Palafox, the CEO of Praetorian Group International (PGI), was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Prosecutors stated that Palafox operated a $200 million Bitcoin-based Ponzi scheme that defrauded more than 90,000 investors across the world.
Bitcoin Fraud Case
According to court documents, Palafox, the 61-year-old dual citizen of the United States and the Philippines, owned and controlled PGI and served as its chairman, chief executive officer, and chief promoter. Prosecutors said Palafox falsely claimed that PGI was engaged in Bitcoin trading and marketed the firm as a multi-level marketing investment opportunity. He promised investors daily returns ranging from 0.5% to 3%.
In reality, PGI was not trading Bitcoin at a scale capable of generating those returns, and investor payouts were funded using victims’ own deposits or money from new investors. From December 2019 through October 2021, at least 90,000 investors invested more than $201 million in PGI, including approximately $30.3 million in fiat currency and at least 8,198 BTC, worth around $171.5 million at the time.
As a result of the scheme, investor losses rose to over $62 million. Court records reveal that Palafox created an online PGI portal that allowed investors to track what he represented as their investment performance. Between 2020 and 2021, the website consistently and fraudulently displayed gains, which led victims to believe their investments were profitable and secure.
Luxury Cars, Mansions, and Lies
Palafox spent roughly $3 million on 20 luxury vehicles, including models from Porsche, Lamborghini, McLaren, Ferrari, BMW, and Bentley. He also spent about $329,000 on penthouse suites at a luxury hotel chain and purchased four homes in Las Vegas and Los Angeles, estimated to be more than $6 million.
Additional spending included approximately $3 million on luxury clothing, watches, jewelry, and home furnishings from retailers such as Louboutin, Neiman Marcus, Gucci, Versace, Ferragamo, Valentino, Cartier, Rolex, and Hermès. Prosecutors said Palafox also transferred at least $800,000 in fiat currency and 100 BTC, which was then equivalent to $3.3 million, to a family member.
The Justice Department said PGI victims may be eligible for restitution.
Separately, PGI Global’s UK entity was shut down by the United Kingdom High Court back in 2022. In April 2025, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) charged Palafox with orchestrating the massive Ponzi scheme.
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