BigOption sales representative pleads guilty in binary options fraud case
Yair Hadar’s case is related to that targeting Lee Elbaz, the ex-CEO of Israeli-based Yukom Communications.
As FinanceFeeds has earlier reported, US authorities are expanding the scope of their actions targeting binary options fraudsters. The actions now target not only executives of binary options firms but also sales staff.
A week after Austin Smith (a/k/a “John Ried”), whose activities are linked to BinaryBook and Yukom Communications, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, another binary options sales representative has pleaded guilty in a related case.
On March 21, 2019, arraignment as to Yair Hadar was held. “Guilty” Plea was entered to Count 1 of the Information against Hadar before Judge Theodore D. Chuang at the Maryland District Court. Yair Hadar (a/k/a “Steven Gold”) was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in a criminal information on March 7, 2019.
From in or about November 2014 through in or about August 2016, Hadar worked as a sales representative for BigOption at Yukom Communications, an entity providing investor “retention” services for BinaryBook and BigOption. As per the charges, Hadar conspired to commit offenses against the United States, to wit and wire fraud by means of materially false and fraudulent pretenses, representations and promises. It was the purpose of the conspiracy for Hadar and other representatives of Yukom, Numaris, BinaryBook, BigOption and other entities to obtain maximum deposit from investors and to take steps to ensure that investors lost money in their accounts – thereby making money for themselves and their brands in the process.
As per the plea agreement, Hadar agrees to plead guilty to a one-count Information, which charges him with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The defendant admits that he is guilty of the offense and will so advise the Court.
The elements of the offense to which Hadar has agreed to plead guilty, and which this Office would prove if the case went to trial, are as follows:
That on or about the time alleged in the Information, in the District of Maryland: a. Two or more persons agreed to do something that federal law prohibits, that is, to commit wire fraud, as charged in the Information; and b. The Defendant knew of the conspiracy and willfully joined the conspiracy.
The maximum penalties provided by statute for the offense to which Hadar is pleading guilty are as follows:
