Lukas I. Alpert
Moneyish
New York, NY, United States
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Past articles by Lukas:
Texas tax scammers charged with using stolen IDs to file $111 million in refunds
The group is accused of hijacking ID theft victims’ tax accounts and steering phony refunds to themselves. → Read More
Head of $325 million antigovernment tax- and debt-relief scam sentenced to prison
Yolonda Thompson and her husband, who are followers of the sovereign citizen movement, were convicted in a decade-long tax-refund scheme. → Read More
Air ball: 82-year-old sports card dealer charged in elaborate counterfeit scam
Prosecutors say Mayo McNeil made over $800K selling things like fake Michael Jordan rookie cards to unsuspecting buyers online. → Read More
Money, mania and LSD: Malibu doctor’s tragic final weeks under yoga gurus’ sway
‘I’m afraid there will be violence’: Mark Sawusch entered a terrifying mental spiral following acid trips with gurus Anthony Flores and Anna Moore, testimony shows. → Read More
Rich doctor’s final days defined by fight between family and suspect yogis
Mark Sawusch’s family sought to have him committed while he turned to a pair of yoga gurus to keep him free --- a decision he paid for, court papers say. → Read More
Apocalypse now: Man accused of giant tire Ponzi scheme
John Eckerd served time for laundering money through a scam aimed at doomsday preppers. He is now accused of stealing $50 million in a fraud built on tires. → Read More
Death and deceit in Malibu: Yogis befriended and stole from rich and ill doctor
Anton David and Anna Moore are accused of pretending to be caretakers for Dr. Mark Sawusch, an ophthalmologist, while really having an eye on his $60 million fortune. → Read More
Blimp company owner gets 5 1/2 years for stealing $8 million in COVID aid
Patrick Walsh claimed he was trying to keep his blimp company afloat, but prosecutors say he used the money to buy high-priced real estate. → Read More
Man stole IDs of murder-suicide victims and looted their estate
Kristopher Cobb plundered the accounts of an LA city attorney who shot his wife and son before taking his own life, after learning of the tragedy on the news. → Read More
Federal agent lost job after baseball-card addiction led him to moonlight for Amazon
Sean Nelson’s collecting led him to financial ruin and almost blew up his marriage; now he has been sentenced for using his government car for sideline gigs. → Read More
Bloomberg hit with $5 million SEC fine for misleading customers
Bloomberg claimed its pricing index was based on a sophisticated algorithm but it sometimes came from a single broker quote, the SEC said. → Read More
Crypto lender Genesis latest to file for bankruptcy as crypto contagion spreads
The firm is the latest domino to fall amid an ongoing crypto rout, saying it has as much as $10 billion in liabilities. → Read More
Florida man gets 8 ½ years for using Covid aid for 12-acre estate, luxury cars
Don Cisternino fled to Europe as the Feds closed in. He was caught in Croatia on charges he stole $7.2 million in pandemic aid. → Read More
Holy high rollers: phony pastors targeted immigrants in $28 million Ponzi scheme
The scam sold a vision of financial freedom through God, but instead lined the pockets of its organizers, prosecutors said. → Read More
Redemption undone: Man stuck up bank to finance film about finding God in prison
Nacoe Brown pleaded guilty to bank robbery after writing 15 books behind bars, one of which he was working to make into a film after finishing a 19-year stint. → Read More
Celsius Network and founder Alex Mashinsky accused of fraud by NY AG
The suit claims Mashinsky defrauded investors out of billions by lying about Celsius’ “deteriorating financial condition.” → Read More
Sam Bankman-Fried pleads not guilty in multi-billion dollar FTX fraud case
The FTX founder has been under house arrest since being charged with allegedly looting billions in customer deposits. → Read More
Sam Bankman-Fried to be released on $250 million bond after first U.S. hearing
Bankman-Fried's top associates have started to flip as he stands accused of treating billions in customer funds as his own personal piggy bank. → Read More
Blinged-out bishop robbed during sermon hit with fraud and extortion charges
Lamor Whitehead, who made headlines when gunmen stole $1 million in jewelry from him, is accused of ripping off parishioners and lying to the FBI. → Read More
Meet Mazars, the accountancy that keeps finding itself embroiled in controversy
Mazars dumped the Trump Organization after years of legal wrangling over its tax returns and is now parting ways with the beleaguered crypto industry. → Read More