A Harvard Enterprise College graduate was arrested Thursday on fraud expenses alleging he swindled fellow alumni of the distinguished college out of over $4 million in a Ponzi scheme, even assuring one investor they’d quickly “brag” about their “loopy good points” on the college’s reunion.
Vladimir Artamonov, 46, was taken into custody in Elkridge, Maryland, the place he lived, and was charged with securities, wire and funding adviser fraud for allegedly finishing up the scheme from September 2021 by way of February 2024.
An indictment unsealed in Manhattan federal courtroom stated Artamonov promised huge returns and little danger to dupe former classmates and different alumni into investing with him, telling one investor: “It will likely be your greatest funding. The perception is air tight.”
Messages for remark left with Harvard and a lawyer for Artamonov weren’t instantly returned. Artamonov, showing earlier than a Justice of the Peace decide in federal courtroom in Maryland, was launched on $300,000 bail with directions to haven’t any contact with victims or potential trial witnesses.
The allegations towards Artamonov had been first revealed in late February 2024 by New York Lawyer Normal Letitia James, who stated in a information launch then that her workplace realized in regards to the fraud after considered one of a number of dozen buyers ended his personal life after studying he had misplaced $100,000.
“Even refined buyers will be conned by fraudsters, particularly when private relationships and networks are used to construct a false sense of belief,” James stated.
She stated Artamonov “used his alumnus standing from Harvard Enterprise College to prey on his classmates and others whereas seeming respectable and reliable.”
Artamonov, a 2003 Harvard graduate with a grasp’s in enterprise administration, used the varsity’s alumni community to determine buyers, authorities stated.
The indictment stated he promised buyers that he might determine securities on the verge of creating giant good points by recognizing public insurance coverage firm filings by associates of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. previous to public filings made to the Securities and Trade Fee which can be extra intently adopted by buyers.
As an alternative of following that plan, Artamonov put investor cash into dangerous short-term choices, dropping hundreds of thousands of {dollars}, usually inside days of receiving the cash from buyers, the indictment stated.
It stated he repeatedly assured buyers that huge earnings had been on the horizon and even promised one investor that it was “virtually sure we’ll make a ton of cash” quickly and that they’d “brag” about their “loopy good points” on the Harvard Enterprise College reunion.
Traders ultimately demanded their a refund, inflicting Artamonov to return lower than $400,000 by paying authentic buyers with cash from new buyers or by declining to reimburse them in any respect, the indictment stated.
It stated Artamonov misplaced many of the cash or spent tens of 1000’s of {dollars} on gadgets akin to lodging, meals and alcohol, and transportation.
Christopher G. Raia, head of New York’s FBI workplace, stated in a information launch that Artamonov “exploited the status of a well-respected college and funding firm to unlawfully rocure investments, which he used to pay for private bills.”
U.S. Lawyer Jay Clayton stated Artamonov “betrayed buyers, together with mates and former Ivy League classmates.”
