Key Takeaways
- • A federal indictment filed against former pastor Francier Obando Pinillo, owner of Tiempos De Poder in Pasco, Washington, accuses him of 25 counts of wire fraud, conspiracy, and participating in an unlicensed money transmitting business tied to the alleged $8.4 million Solano Fi crypto scheme.
- • The expanded case adds two defendants: Chad Devin Neuburger, also known as Douglas White, a U.S. citizen arrested in Richland and who pleaded innocent, and Yey Brandon Llanos Moreno, a Colombian resident not known to have been arrested.
- • Prosecutors allege Solano Fi did not exist and investor funds were never invested, with proceeds going to the defendants and possible co-conspirators, while victims were given excuses and asked for additional deposits when attempting withdrawals.
- • Investors were promised guaranteed monthly returns, in some cases nearly 35% to 40% per month, and Pinillo reportedly claimed the investment came to him in a dream.
- • Pinillo is scheduled to appear on the new charges on Oct. 20 in the Eastern Washington District U.S. Court, and a parallel Commodity Futures Trading Commission civil suit has been paused pending the criminal case.
Summary
A federal court case accusing former pastor Francier Obando Pinillo of convincing members of his church and others to invest nearly $8.4 million in a fraudulent cryptocurrency scheme has been expanded to add two more defendants, according to the Eastern Washington District U.S. Attorney's Office. A new indictment filed last week charges Pinillo, the pastor and owner of Tiempos De Poder in Pasco, Washington, 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 two additional defendants are accused of creating the purported 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 on Thursday and has pleaded innocent. 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. Moreno and Neuburger face charges of conspiracy and participating in an unlicensed money transmitting business.
Pinillo, a Colombian national who is not a U.S. citizen, invested in Solano Fi in September 2021 before shifting to promoting it and profiting from it, according to court documents. Prosecutors say he offered to bring a large community of potential investors in exchange for being named chief executive and earning a commission on all deposited funds. Investors were promised guaranteed monthly compounding returns, some of them nearly 35% per month from purported cryptocurrency staking. Court documents state the money was never invested, and that the defendants knew Solano Fi did not exist; funds instead flowed to the three defendants and possible other conspirators.
The filings describe six investors, identified by initials, who were drawn in through church activities, seminars, and a Telegram group called Multimillionarios SolanoFi with more than 1,500 members. One investor, P.J.V., a parishioner who invested $34,000, said that when he confronted Pinillo, Pinillo replied that he would never be arrested because investors had transferred money to accounts he designated rather than handing him cash. Another, A.B., invested $30,000 and received only an $18 withdrawal, which Pinillo filmed for social media marketing. When investors sought repayment, they were told assets could not be paid out until crypto markets improved, that the website was down, or that they needed to send more money. Several investors have won judgments in small claims or state court but have not been paid.
Pinillo has pleaded innocent to the initial charges and is scheduled to appear on the new conspiracy charges on Oct. 20 in the Eastern Washington District U.S. Court. He was initially not incarcerated while living in Miami, but was ordered to jail last year after allegedly contacting victims and soliciting money, including for an orphanage that prosecutors say does not exist. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission has also filed a civil suit against him in federal court, which has been paused pending the outcome of the criminal case.
The two additional defendants are accused of creating the purported 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 on Thursday and has pleaded innocent. 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. Moreno and Neuburger face charges of conspiracy and participating in an unlicensed money transmitting business.
Pinillo, a Colombian national who is not a U.S. citizen, invested in Solano Fi in September 2021 before shifting to promoting it and profiting from it, according to court documents. Prosecutors say he offered to bring a large community of potential investors in exchange for being named chief executive and earning a commission on all deposited funds. Investors were promised guaranteed monthly compounding returns, some of them nearly 35% per month from purported cryptocurrency staking. Court documents state the money was never invested, and that the defendants knew Solano Fi did not exist; funds instead flowed to the three defendants and possible other conspirators.
The filings describe six investors, identified by initials, who were drawn in through church activities, seminars, and a Telegram group called Multimillionarios SolanoFi with more than 1,500 members. One investor, P.J.V., a parishioner who invested $34,000, said that when he confronted Pinillo, Pinillo replied that he would never be arrested because investors had transferred money to accounts he designated rather than handing him cash. Another, A.B., invested $30,000 and received only an $18 withdrawal, which Pinillo filmed for social media marketing. When investors sought repayment, they were told assets could not be paid out until crypto markets improved, that the website was down, or that they needed to send more money. Several investors have won judgments in small claims or state court but have not been paid.
Pinillo has pleaded innocent to the initial charges and is scheduled to appear on the new conspiracy charges on Oct. 20 in the Eastern Washington District U.S. Court. He was initially not incarcerated while living in Miami, but was ordered to jail last year after allegedly contacting victims and soliciting money, including for an orphanage that prosecutors say does not exist. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission has also filed a civil suit against him in federal court, which has been paused pending the outcome of the criminal case.
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