Key Takeaways
- • Federal prosecutors added two defendants, Chad Devin Neuburger (also known as Douglas White) and Yey Brandon Llanos Moreno, to the Solano Fi cryptocurrency fraud case involving roughly $8.4 million in investor funds, according to the Tri-City Herald.
- • A new indictment against Pasco pastor Francier Obando Pinillo adds 25 counts, including wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy against the United States, and operating an unlicensed money transmitting business.
- • Investors were promised guaranteed monthly returns of up to roughly 35% to 40% for "staking" cryptocurrency, but the funds were never invested and the Solano Fi company did not exist, per a court document cited in the article.
- • Court filings detail six investor accounts from Eastern Washington and Colorado, with individual losses ranging from about $2,200 to $36,000, and several victims holding unpaid civil judgments.
- • The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission's parallel civil suit against Pinillo is paused pending the outcome of the criminal case.
Summary
Federal prosecutors in the Eastern District of Washington have expanded the criminal case against Francier Obando Pinillo, the pastor and owner of Tiempos de Poder in Pasco, Washington, to include two additional defendants. A new indictment filed the prior week charges Pinillo with 25 counts of wire fraud, conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and participating in an unlicensed money transmitting business. The original indictment, filed in November 2024, alleged $5.9 million in fraud; the case now involves nearly $8.4 million in investor money, according to the Tri-City Herald.
The two new defendants are accused of creating the cryptocurrency investment scheme, called Solano Fi, in Colombia in August 2021. Chad Devin Neuburger, also known as Douglas White, a U.S. citizen who lived for periods in Colombia, was arrested in Richland and has pleaded not guilty. Yey Brandon Llanos Moreno, also known as Brandon Llanos and Eric De Silva, is a Colombian resident, and federal court records do not indicate he has been arrested. Pinillo, a Colombian national who is not a U.S. citizen, invested in Solano Fi in September 2021 before shifting to promote the scheme; prosecutors say he sought the chief executive role and a commission on all deposited funds.
According to court documents, prospective investors were promised large, guaranteed monthly compounding returns, with some told they would earn almost 35% monthly from cryptocurrency staking. Prosecutors allege the money was never invested and went to the defendants and possible co-conspirators. Pinillo allegedly used his role as a pastor to solicit congregants, describing the investment as safe and guaranteed, and he ran a Spanish-language Telegram group with more than 1,500 members. When investors sought withdrawals, they were allegedly given excuses, including frozen markets, website outages, and demands for additional deposits.
Court filings describe six investors identified by initials. Among them, S.R. was promised a 34.9% return and later won a $10,000 small-claims judgment without receiving payment. A.B. invested $30,000 and received only an $18 withdrawal, which Pinillo allegedly filmed for social media marketing. P.J.V., a parishioner, invested $34,000 after being promised a 1.5% daily return. Pinillo is scheduled to appear on the new charges on October 20 in Eastern Washington federal court. He had pleaded not guilty to the initial charges, was ordered jailed last year after allegedly contacting victims, and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission's civil suit remains stayed pending the criminal proceedings.
The two new defendants are accused of creating the cryptocurrency investment scheme, called Solano Fi, in Colombia in August 2021. Chad Devin Neuburger, also known as Douglas White, a U.S. citizen who lived for periods in Colombia, was arrested in Richland and has pleaded not guilty. Yey Brandon Llanos Moreno, also known as Brandon Llanos and Eric De Silva, is a Colombian resident, and federal court records do not indicate he has been arrested. Pinillo, a Colombian national who is not a U.S. citizen, invested in Solano Fi in September 2021 before shifting to promote the scheme; prosecutors say he sought the chief executive role and a commission on all deposited funds.
According to court documents, prospective investors were promised large, guaranteed monthly compounding returns, with some told they would earn almost 35% monthly from cryptocurrency staking. Prosecutors allege the money was never invested and went to the defendants and possible co-conspirators. Pinillo allegedly used his role as a pastor to solicit congregants, describing the investment as safe and guaranteed, and he ran a Spanish-language Telegram group with more than 1,500 members. When investors sought withdrawals, they were allegedly given excuses, including frozen markets, website outages, and demands for additional deposits.
Court filings describe six investors identified by initials. Among them, S.R. was promised a 34.9% return and later won a $10,000 small-claims judgment without receiving payment. A.B. invested $30,000 and received only an $18 withdrawal, which Pinillo allegedly filmed for social media marketing. P.J.V., a parishioner, invested $34,000 after being promised a 1.5% daily return. Pinillo is scheduled to appear on the new charges on October 20 in Eastern Washington federal court. He had pleaded not guilty to the initial charges, was ordered jailed last year after allegedly contacting victims, and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission's civil suit remains stayed pending the criminal proceedings.
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