Santa Barbara man charged with wire fraud, money laundering $12 Million
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - Darrell Arnold Aviss is accused of stealing approximately $12 million. A federal grand jury has indicted the Santa Barbara man on 11 counts, alleging he promised his victims he would use their money to purchase annuities from Swiss insurance companies.
The 63-year-old Aviss has been charged with five counts of wire fraud and six counts of money laundering. He was arrested and ordered held without bond.
The indictment was filed this afternoon in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. It alleges Aviss ran the scheme from at least 2012 through the summer of 2020. Aviss allegedly told victims the Swiss annuities would pay interest rates ranging from 5-7 percent.
The indictment alleges Aviss did not use victims' money to purchase annuities, and that he provided them with false documents that showed their supposed investments increasing over time.
Most of the victims were over the age of 60, and court documents show most of the money came from one victim. Some money was paid back to victims to keep the scheme running.
Instead of purchasing annuities, Aviss allegedly used the victims’ money for his own purposes and to support his lavish lifestyle. Court documents indicate that he used the money for, among other things, Ponzi payments to victims, mortgage payments, luxury car leases, expensive watches, trips to Monaco, more than $100,000 in purchases at a Santa Barbara nightclub, and 20 tickets to a U2 concert and after-party.
Each count of wire fraud carries a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison; one count of concealment money laundering, which has a maximum sentence of 20 years; and five counts of laundering criminal proceeds in excess of $10,000, each of which carries a potential sentence of 10 years.
The FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation are conducting the investigation.
